BOPE Takes Aim at BOPP & BOPET Films

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In recent years, biaxially oriented polyethylene (BOPE) has emerged as a significant candidate for recyclable packaging solutions. This development is part of the ongoing trend towards all-PE blown-film packaging, like standup pouches, driven by sustainability and the push for a circular economy. Nova Chemicals stands out as a leader in BOPE innovation.

At the K show in Düsseldorf, SABIC introduced a new LLDPE specifically designed for BOPE films. They showcased examples of BOPE standup pouches suitable for packaging a variety of products including confectionery, snacks, frozen, fresh, and dried fruits and vegetables, as well as personal care items. BOPE films offer advantages such as excellent printability, high mechanical properties and durability, alongside superior seal integrity. Notably, SABIC's new material facilitates controlled linear tear directions to make packages easier to open.

More recently, Nova has joined forces with various organizations throughout the supply chain to advance monomaterial BOPE packaging. This initiative aims to address a crucial market demand for bi-oriented HDPE (HD-BOPE) as a replacement for multimaterial packaging that relies on bi-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) or PET (BOPET).

According to Nova, HD-BOPE packaging simplifies recycling and fosters higher recycling rates for flexible packaging. It also aids brand owners in fulfilling their circular-economy objectives. Although BOPP has been a long-established player in bi-oriented films, experts believe HD-BOPE has the potential to establish itself as an industry standard for recyclable packaging in the forthcoming years, as expressed by Owen Lightbody, the technical service team leader for performance films.

Refined HDPE

The tenter-frame process essential for bi-orienting films presents considerable challenges, with existing equipment largely designed for PP, PET, and nylon. While LLDPE can be readily stretched, films made from it often lack the rigidity and thermal resistance needed for high-performance applications, which can be more easily achieved with HDPE. Nova considers HDPE as an advantageous material for BOPE film, although traditional HDPE presents challenges in terms of stretchability.

To address these challenges, Nova Chemicals has crafted specific HDPE grades for the biaxially oriented film production process. They believe this advancement will yield transformative opportunities for creating monomaterial packaging that aligns with a circular economy.

Currently, two film designs are drawing significant market interest: one featuring a 100% HDPE print web and another designed as a sealant film. Notably, the sealant film allows for low seal-initiation temperatures on production lines without adhering to any rollers on the tenter-frame line.

"We are witnessing heightened interest and activity in HD-BOPE across many global regions, and we expect these films to expand rapidly across diverse packaging segments. Additionally, we anticipate that oriented LLDPE films will see growth in the coming years due to their performance advantages over traditional blown and cast films. Given the flexible packaging industry's move towards monomaterial packaging solutions, LLD-BOPE is poised to supplant cast PP, BOPET, and BOPA (bi-oriented nylon) in numerous applications," says Lightbody.

Processing Challenges

The rising profile of BOPE is attributed to brand owners' sustainability commitments, along with the attraction of monomaterial packaging for improved recyclability. However, a significant hurdle remains: the supply chain predominantly utilizes legacy tenter-frame lines designed for PP. The core challenge is innovating HDPE technologies that allow for effective processing on these existing tenter frames.

"We are seeing a high level of interest and activity in HD-BOPE across multiple global regions, and we anticipate a rapid expansion of these films in numerous packaging segments."

To tackle these challenges, Nova has collaborated with the esteemed tenter-frame machine manufacturer, Brueckner Group, to optimize HDPE resin technologies for BOPE. This partnership focuses on enhancing extrusion output and achieving consistent production without film breaks. Improvements in output rates will be made possible via innovative PE resin architecture and equipment enhancements, such as the Brueckner’s advanced hybrid tenter-frame design for BOPP/BOPE.

To produce defect-free films, highly specialized resins that feature a customized viscosity profile suitable for the tenter-frame process, minimal gels, and consistent lot-to-lot outputs are essential, according to Nova experts.

HD-BOPE holds the promise of evolving into the industry benchmark for recyclable films.

Advantages Over BOPET and BOPP

The range of applications utilizing BOPP, BOPET, and/or BOPA (biaxially oriented nylon) is vast, making complete replacement with BOPE unfeasible. However, there exists a multitude of packaging sectors where BOPE offers a performance and circular-economy advantage. The standout benefit of BOPE is its enhanced recyclability. Polypropylene is generally more difficult to recycle, particularly due to limited recycling infrastructures in various regions, including much of North America, where many BOPP-based structures are multimaterial. Therefore, HD-BOPE could serve as a crucial advancement facilitating the widespread adoption of monomaterial recyclable packaging.

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Generally speaking, many conventional flexible packages are fabricated from mixed-material laminates such as PET/PE to achieve necessary functionalities like stiffness, thermal resistance, and sealing capabilities. The versatility in PE product densities accommodates a wide range of performance criteria. Lower-density materials like LLDPE offer exceptional sealing attributes, while higher-density variants grant rigidity and heat resistance. HD-BOPE creates stiffer films that facilitate downgauging and easy-open packaging with low tearing abilities. Additionally, it significantly enhances optical characteristics, thereby boosting the package's shelf appeal compared to standard HDPE. Nova also offers various LLD-BOPE grades and can collaborate with processors to design HD-BOPE/LLD-BOPE monomaterial laminate films.

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Nova Chemicals' Industry Collaborations

Acknowledging the market's need for HD-BOPE, Nova Chemicals reached out to industry leaders and partners, including:

Toray Plastics America Inc., located in Providence, R.I., has provided invaluable expertise in film manufacturing and oriented films for packaging applications, which contributed immensely to the development of HD-BOPE technology, as noted by Lightbody. Toray Plastics is a prominent producer of PET, PP, biobased, and metalized films for flexible and rigid packaging, as well as lidding, graphic, industrial, optical, and electronic uses. Joint pilot-line trials conducted by Nova and Toray yielded immediate feedback regarding processing and orientability of various HDPE resin options, helping Nova Chemicals refine its resins for HD-BOPE.

Additionally, Brueckner, a leading tenter-frame manufacturer, along with Polivouga, a key film producer in Portugal, have assessed multiple HDPE resins for biaxial stretching on pilot lines at Brueckner's facility and a commercial line in Portugal. Together, both Nova and Brueckner consider BOPE as a promising foundational element for a circular economy, offering another viable pathway to achieve the goal of fully recyclable packaging.

Further potential applications for BOPE continue to be explored.