Catalysts supply ensured

Catalysts enable a precise alignment of plastics properties with varying demands and requirements and help determine, among other things, the hardness, plasticity and/or elasticity of end-products. Thus, the importance of these chemical substances cannot be undermined in the processing of a wide range of materials and end-products.

A steady supply of catalysts needs to be assured in the wake of rising global demand. Borealis, a leading provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilisers, inaugurated a new catalyst plant in Linz, Austria.

Constructed at a cost of EUR 100 million, this recent addition to the production facility will produce catalysts utilising the proprietary Borealis Sirius catalyst technology. The opportunity to produce catalysts not only for the company’s own use, but also to continue to develop new and improved catalysts is of prime importance for Borealis.

Ideal adaptation of desired plastics product
Catalysts are substances required in small quantities for the production of plastics. In value-adding processing, catalysts assist in the transformation of simple raw materials into complex molecules which exhibit a variety of properties for diverse applications. To a great extent they determine the final properties of a product, e.g. hardness, plasticity and/or elasticity. Catalysts make it possible to form
plastics more precisely that the material plays a vital role in the development of innovative plastics solutions. In a sense, catalysts serves as the ‘heart’ of certain polymerisation processes. Thanks to these high-performance catalysts, Borealis can produce in such a way that conserves resources, because larger and higher-quality volumes can be produced using less material. By-products are avoided and specific energy requirements reduced. Thus overall, efficiency and sustainability in chemical manufacturing processes are significantly increased.

Strong partnership
Following the inauguration, Borealis also announced its team up with Borouge and NOVA Chemicals at K 2013. The Borealis’ materials solutions will be highlighted in automotives (car interior and exterior), energy & infrastructure (pipe, wire, and cable industries), and advanced packaging and fibre (polyolefins with superior properties and flexibility). The company will also bring into focus the benefits of its new catalyst plant, its recent move to acquire DEXPlastomers (now Borealis Plastomers) for technology advancement, and the establishment of one of the largest caverns in Europe for butane use in Sweden, as well as the upcoming expansion of raffinate-1 and raffinate-2 streams in Sweden and the replacement of a hot oil heater unit at phenol complex in Finland scheduled for 2015.

Borealis’ cutting edge BorstarTM technology is the company’s proprietary process technology. Combined with its catalyst technology, Borstar bolsters the production of a wide spectrum of enhanced PE and PP products. Borstar PE 2G and PP 2G are technologies for next era, allowing flexible polymer design from bi-modal to multi-modal PE/PP and facilitating the development of ever widening range of novel plastics,  outperforming alternative materials for novel demands in manufacturing nowadays. By tailoring the molecular structure of PE and PP to precisely meet the application requirements, Borstar PE 2G and PP 2G extend the product range, making it possible to generate the fittest solutions for customers.

Continuous initiatives in materials solutions
Borealis also announced its continuous efforts to bring about materials solutions for three key applications: auLebron XIII Low EP