Borstar enhanced film covers help protect Thailand’s shrimp and fish farms

Strong and durable polyethylene film from Borouge, a leading provider of innovative, value creating plastics solutions, is helping Thailand’s shrimp and fish farmers with pond covers that last longer and require less maintenance.

Film produced with Borstar Enhanced polyethylene is also proving a cost-effective alternative to traditional material, enabling the film converter to use half as much material to produce the same thickness of film that fish farmers need to cover and line their ponds.

Vis & Son Co Ltd, based in Thailand, manufactures and distributes polyethylene blown film for the industrial and agricultural industries, and their customers include the fast-growing fish and shrimp farm market. Vis & Son had traditionally used heavy duty grades of LDPE and LLDPE for shrimp pond covers, however, with local supply limited they sought a cost effective alternative with good processability. A key challenge was the ability to produce film thicker than 250 micron.

Most of Thailand’s many shrimp and fish farms are located along its coastline, exposed to heat and strong winds so pond covers must be strong and durable.

Vis & Son chose Borstar Enhanced PE FB2230 and FB2310 for its good film strength, higher outputs, stiffness and long life span. Borstar film’s smooth, matt surface has also proved an advantage, shielding the baby fish and shrimps from attacks by birds.

Excellent bubble stability and easy processability even when blended with other materials was also important. For pond covers Vis & Son used FB2230 for the 100% mono layer film with 70 micron thickness, while FB2310 was mixed in the middle layer for coextrusion constructions.

Pond liners require a film thickness of 120 to 350 micron which is possible to achieve with Borstar – its broader processing window enables Vis & Son to produce a wider range of films with varying thickness. They can now make a 350 micron thick film with Borstar material replacing the 700 micron of traditional material yet retaining its strength; a fifty percent reduction in material.

Mr. Laurence Jones, Vice President Film & Moulding, Borouge adds: “For three years now Borstar film applications have been very successful for Vis & Son. By using fifty percent less material they still get outstanding performance at a lower overall cost – a real ‘win win’ solution.”