Pipe industry benefits from unique Borealis injection moulding grade for PE100 fittings

Borealis has launched Borstar® HE3490-IM, a unique polyethylene (PE) grade specifically for the injection moulding of PE100 pressure pipe fittings. This solution provides the fitting manufacturers with a better alternative to the extrusion materials which they currently use – a material that combines the higher pressure performance of a PE100 material with the processing friendliness of a PE80. The whole value chain from fittings manufacturer to pipe producer, contractor and pipeline owner will benefit from the greater consistency in overall quality and performance achieved with this grade. Borstar HE3490-IM is available through Borouge, the distributor and marketer of Borealis’ speciality polyolefins in the Middle East and Asia Pacific.

Eurostandard produces specialised fittings for pressurised gas and water pipelines. Commenting on their experience of using the new Borstar grade, Giuseppe Fontanazzi, Technical Director Eurostandard, says: "Borealis has succeeded in developing a material which combines good flow characteristics with excellent strength. Borstar HE3490-IM is enabling us to mould complex, intricate PE100 fittings more efficiently and cost-effectively than before thanks to the shorter cycle times and less scrap. At the same time we are seeing clear improvements to the consistency in quality in areas such as the fitting openings and the surface finishing on the products we deliver to our customers."

Borstar HE3490-IM offers a wide range of production- and end-product advantages.

• Shorter cycle times: Borstar HE3490-IM can be injected at lower temperatures in comparison to conventional PE100 extrusion grade materials. The lower melt temperatures allow considerably shorter cycle times to be achieved, delivering cost benefits to the fittings manufacturer.

• Less scrap: Industrial trials have shown that scrap rates can be reduced dramatically on fittings with intricate design. This reduces the complexity of the moulding and inspection schemes, which translates into improved production efficiency and cost-effectiveness for the manufacturer.

• Improved mechanical properties: For small and complex fittings, considerable improvements to mechanical properties in the critical areas such as intersections and flow-front interfaces can be achieved enhancing the performance of the finished fitting.

• Improved surface finish: Due to the easy-flow properties of Borstar HE3490-IM, the surface quality of fittings is greatly improved when compared to fittings manufactured from conventional PE100 materials.

• Less warpage: Less ovalisation and warpage of the fittings results from the lower molecular weight of Borstar HE3490-IM, leading to greater consistency in quality and more reliable, better performing finished fittings.

• Easy processing: Borstar HE3490-IM processes like a PE80 material but the fitting performs as a PE100 product, which is exactly what manufacturers of fittings have been searching for since the introduction of PE100.

Borstar HE3490-IM has been developed using Borealis’ recently launched proprietary Borstar PE 2G technology, a multi-modal process that enables the molecular tailoring of PE to provide added value solutions.

Borealis has more than 40 years experience in providing advanced polyolefin solutions for the manufacturing of pipe and fittings systems. With deep understanding of the value chain and a focus on customer needs, Borealis continues to provide value creating, innovative polypropylene (PP) and PE solutions for the pipe industry.

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www.borouge.com