SpecialityPlasticFilmsConferenceLooksatBusinessTrends,NovelTechnologies

ByPeterMapleston,ProgramDevelopmentManager,SPF/PEPP ThelatesteditionIHSMaackBusinessServicesannualconferenceonspecialityplasticfilms,SPF 2011,broughttogetherbusinessandtechnologyexpertstotalkonthelatesthottopicsforthe sector. Subjectsrangedfromtheglobaleconomicslowdown,throughnewmaterialsandtechnologiesfor orientedpolypropyleneandpolyethylenefilms,tonewinks,additives,andbiopolymers,finishing withnovelwaystomake,useandrecyclehighperformanceandmultilayerstructures. TheIHSgroupencompassesconsultingoperationswithunparalleledbreadthanddepthof knowledgeinthechemicalsandplasticsindustries.Overthelasttwoyears,ithasbroughttogether ChemicalWeek,SRIConsulting,HarrimanChemsult,CMAIandMaackBusinessServices,whichnow alloperatetogetherundertheIHSChemicalbanner.Inadditiontothat,IHSGlobalInsightprovides detailedanalysisofmacroeconomictrends.Consultantsfromseveraloftheseoperationsprovided analysisofbusinesstrendsatSPF2011. SimonaMocuta,adirectoratIHSGlobalInsight,providedacomprehensiveanalysisofglobaltrends acrossvariousmarketswhereplasticsfilmsareused,andgaveherforecastsonhowthesemarkets willdevelopinthecomingmonthsandyearsandwhattheimplicationsarefortheplasticsindustry. ShewasfollowedbyAndreaBorruso,DirectorofEuropeandMiddleEastStudiesatIHSSRI Consulting,andMartinWiesweg,Director,AromaticPolymers,EMEAatIHSCMAI,whoprovided keyinsightsintothedynamicsupplyanddemandpicturesforpolyolefinsandPETrespectively. Theseinhouseexpertswerethenfollowedbyleadingfiguresfromtheplasticsindustryitself. AndreasNeumann,HeadofGlobalPolypropyleneDevelopment&AdditivesatLyondellBasell Industries,talkedaboutlatestdevelopmentsinthecompanysSpherizonetechnology,andhow novelpolypropylenerandomcopolymerscontaininghexeneasacomonomercanfurtherenhance castfilmproperties.Inparticular,thickerfilmshaveanimprovedbalanceofstiffnessandopticals. NeumannalsodiscussednewC3C2C4terpolymersaimedatfunctionallayersincoextrusionsthese areonlynowgoingintoproduction. GerhardWieners,LummusNovolenTechnologysProductDevelopment&ApplicationManager, thenspokeonnewPPgradesthataretailoredspecificallyforhighspeedbiaxialorientation(BOPP) processes.ThecompanyhasdevelopedVRC,theVersatileReactorConcept,whichusestworeactors thatcanbeoperatedinparallelorseriestoobtaindifferenttypesofcopolymer.Reactorsrunningin parallelenabletheproductionofbimodalpolymerswithbroaderprocessingwindowsandimproved mechanicalpropertiesverywellsuitedtoBOPPlines. PauloCavacas,ApplicationMarketingManagerforPOBlownFilmatBorealis,complementedthat talkwithoneonnewBorlitebimodallinearlowdensitypolyethylenes(LLDPE)formonodirectionally oriented(MDO)films.CavacassaidinterestinMDOhasbeenreborn,becauseofpressureon processorstoreducematerialcoststhroughdowngauging,aswellascuttheirenergybills.While standardMDOfilmsarestrongerandstifferthanregularblownfilmtheytearmoreeasilyandare notsotough;sealingpropertiesarepoorertoo.BorliteMDOfilmsarehowevertougherthanblown

film,theyhaveequaltearstrength,andsealingpropertiesarenotsodifferent.Typicalapplications includeheavydutysacksandlaminationfilm. Theconferencehadinfactmorethanawholesessiondedicatedtofilmorientation.Therewere fascinatingpresentationsonMDOfromresearchandconsultancygroupNorner(JorunnNilsen, SeniorConsultant,PlasticsDevelopments,wholookedinparticularatpolymerblendscontaining LLDPE,andalsocomparedMDOPEfavorablywithBOPPinpackagingapplicationsrequiringhigh punctureresistance),fromHosokawaAlpine(ErikSiegmund,SalesBlownFilm,whospokeonthe companysTRIO(TrimReductionforInlineOrientation)technologythatprovidesimprovedcontrol overthicknessdistributionacrossthefilm),andfromRasmussenPolymerDevelopments(directors OleBendtandNikolajRasmussen,whohavepioneeredtechnologies,notonlyforMDO,butalso biaxialorientationandcrosslaminationoforientedstructures). ThesepresentationswerecomplementedbyatalkfromfilmprocessorNowofolKunststoffprodukte, whosemanagingdirectorWolfgangRaspgavehisowninsightsonspecialityMDOfilms,thistime madefrompolypropylene.Thecompanyusesitsowntechnologiesalongsidethoseofoutside supplierstomakefilmsofvarioustypesforaverybroadrangeofapplications. IndependentconsultantMarcoZanella,meanwhile,whohasspentmuchofhisworkinglifeat companiesdevelopingandsupplyingdoubleandtriplebubblefilmorientationlines,spokeon broadeningapplicationsforfilmsinshrinkbarrierpackages. ExtrusionequipmentsuppliersBramptonEngineeringandGneussKunststofftechnikprovided updatesontheirownspecialistareas.KarenXiao,R&DDirectoratBrampton,gaveherappraisalof waterquenching(whichhercompanydeveloped)versusairquenchinginblownfilmproduction. Waterquenchingoffersnumerousadvantages,shesaid,includingimprovedfilmclarityand thermoformabilitywhileusinglessexpensivematerials.AndrewPrangnell,ManagerforTechnical SalesatGneuss,talkedaboutthecompanysMRSmultiscrewextruder:thiscanbeused,notonly forprocessingPETwasteintofilmandsheetwithoutpredrying,butalsoforfilmforfoodcontact applicationsfromvariousrecycledmaterials,includingpolypropylene. Theworldofbioplasticsisstillquiteasmallone,buttheamountofdevelopmentworkinggoingon insideitistremendous.SPF2011lookedatseveralnewaspects.MarkusSchmid,ProjectManagerat theFraunhoferInstituteforProcessEngineering&Packaging,discussedbiopolymerbasedcoating systemsforfoodpackagingapplications.TheinstitutewaspartofthepanEuropeanWheylayer consortiumthatdevelopedbarriercoatingresinfromwheyprotein,adairybyproduct.Industrial productionisnotfaroff. StefanoFacco,NewBusinessDevelopmentDirectoratNovamont,theproducerofMaterBipolymers derivedfrommaize,thenspoketothesubjectCreatinggreenchemicalproductioncentersto meetgrowingdemandfordegradableplasticforfilm.NovamontiscooperatingwithanotherItalian company,Enichem,onsuchaprojectinSardinia. Thesetwotalkswerefollowedbyprocessorpresentations.FrankErnst,ProductManager& TechnicalServicesEurope,formajorfilmproducerTaghleefIndustries,talkedaboutdeveloping newapplicationsforbiaxiallyorientedfilmsmadefromNatureWorkspolylacticacid(PLA)corn basedbiopolymer,whichTaghleefmarketsasNativia.Thefilmsareusedinawiderangeoffoodand

nonfoodpackagingapplications,andthecompanyisnowworkinginpartnershipwithanew company,Extendo,todeveloparangeofcompostablebarrierPLAfilmssuitableformodified atmospherepackaging. RegisGaroutte,BusinessDevelopmentManageratHuhtamaki,discussedthecompanysexperience inoptimizingfilmandsheetsolutionswithbiopolymers.ThecompanyworkswithPLAandwithwhat itdescribesasthermoplasticstarch(MaterBiorsimilar)tomakeflexibleandrigidfilmsfornumerous applications. Additivesandinksalsohadtheirplaceunderthespotlight.Stayingwiththebiopolymerthemefora moment,DanielGanz,BusinessDevelopmentManageratSukano,talkedabouthowhiscompanys functionalmasterbatchtechnologiescanenhancethevalueoffilmsandsheetmadewithsuch materials,forexamplebyincreasingimpactresistanceinPLAthermoformablesheetwhileretaining transparency.Thenmineraladditives,andthebenefitstheycanbringtofilmsandpackaging,were discussedbyDavidWhiteman,TechnicalServiceManager,Film,Packaging&EngineeringatImerys, oneoftheworldsmajormineralsuppliers.HesaidImerysOpaciliteUltra,whichisacalcinedclay, canbeusedasapartialreplacementforlightscatteringmineralssuchasTiO2,maintainingthe colourandopacityinbothfilmandmasterbatch;healsodiscussedhowmineralfillerscanimprove processingpropertiesinPHA(polyhydroxyalkanoate)biopolymers. FromSunchemicalInksEurope,thecompanysProductManager,FlexiblePackaging,ColinSmith, talkedabouthowinnovationsininksandcoatingscanenhancefilmpackaging,forexamplewhen usedasabarrierlayerasanalternativetoacoextrudedbarrierresin;healsodiscussedlatest developmentsinlowmigrationinksandcoatings.Thesessionconcludedwithapresentationonthe latestdevelopmentsinoxygenscavengersfromTorstenClasen,EuropeanProductManager, Masterbatches,atAlbisPlastic.ThecompanysShelfplusO2isavailableinversionforincorporation intonumerousresinsintendedforfilm,forpackagingproductsrangingfromsoupsandsnacks, throughsausagesandcheeses,tojuicesandwines,providingimportantimprovementsinshelflife. Thefinalsessionoftheconferencelookedatmultilayerstructuresandatdifferenttypesofsmart packaging.HermannOnusseit,TechnicalDirectoratHenkel,tooktheaudiencethroughlatest developmentsinadhesivesforfoodsafeflexiblefilmpackaging.Hesaidthattheadhesivesindustry hasdevelopedanumberofnewsystemstoenableproducersofmultilayerflexiblefilmpackaging forfoodcontactmaterialstofulfiltherequirementsoftheEuropeanUnionFrameworkRegulation (EC)No1935/2004thatcoverstheinteractionoffoodpackagingmaterialswithpackagecontents. AnovelwayofdetectingiffilmsreallyarefoodsafeinusewasintroducedbyAnnaHezingerfrom FraunhoferEMFT(EinrichtungfrModulareFestkrperTechnologien,orInstituteforModularSolid StateTechnologies).Hergroupisdevelopingnewsensormaterialsforsmartpackagingfilmsthat giveaclearvisualindicationofwhenpackagecontentshavegonebeyondtheirusefullife.The materialsworkbyreactingwithaminesthataregivenoffbyspoiledfoods,whichcausethemto changecolour. CarlosLudlowPalafox,ManagingDirectoratstartupcompanyEnval,introducedanewprocessto recycleplastic/aluminumlaminatesbasedonanovelpyrolysistechnologyusingmicrowaves. Pyrolysisworksathightemperaturesintheabsenceofoxygen,crackingthepolymers.Enval

recoversthemetal,whilethedepolymerisationproductscanalsoarereusedtomakenewpolymers. ThecompanyiscooperatingwithNestleandKraftonafirstcommercialplantintheU.K. Theconferenceendedwithatalkonadifferenttypeofsmartpackaging,althoughinthiscase,itis thedeveloperswhohavebeensmart.FrankOestervemb,Director,Innovation&Technologyat TorusPakEurope,describedhowthecompanyhasdevelopedahighlynovelovenabletraywitha multilayerthickfilmbaseforreadymeals.Itenablesthecontentstobesetoutontheplatejustas theyareplacedinthetray.Thinkaboutthetrickforwhippingoutthetableclothfromunderallthe placesettingsinsteadoftheplacesettingsonatable,youhavethemealinitstrayonaplate,and insteadofthetableclothyouhavethetraysfilmbase.Onlythistime,youcandoitniceandslowly. Andthistimeitworkseverytime!