Borealis Borstar® FB2230 LLDPE

Product Overview

Borstar® FB2230 is a high-molecular-weight linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) film-grade resin introduced by Borealis AG, belonging to Borealis’ proprietary Borstar bimodal/multimodal polymerization technology platform. The material is in the form of milky-white translucent to opaque cylindrical pellets with a density of 0.923 g/cm³. Its melt mass-flow rate is only 0.20 g/10min under 190 °C / 2.16 kg conditions, while reaching 22 g/10min under a high load of 190 °C / 21.6 kg—this combination of “low-load high melt strength + high-load high shear fluidity” is a typical characterization of its bimodal molecular weight distribution.

In the field of blown film LLDPE, FB2230 is positioned as the benchmark reference grade for heavy-duty sacks and high-performance flexible packaging: bubble stability is superior to conventional LLDPE/LDPE, draw-down performance is excellent, and it can stably blow films within a thickness range of 10 µm to >200 µm. At a typical 40 µm blown film value, it delivers a dart drop impact of 250 g, a total puncture energy of 2E+4 J/m, a TD elongation at break of 750%, and a transverse Elmendorf tear of 25 g/μm, balancing low-temperature toughness, stiffness/toughness equilibrium, and environmental stress crack resistance (ESCR). It is not a transparent appearance component material (haze 70%, gloss 7), but rather targets industrial and food flexible packaging scenarios requiring high strength, puncture resistance, low-temperature resistance, and down-gauging.

Primary applications cover: heavy-duty sacks, food and frozen food packaging, lamination films/stand-up pouches, agricultural and greenhouse films, industrial liners, shrink films, FFS packaging films, and co-extruded outer/inner layers of geomembranes.

Technical Data Sheet (TDS)

Physical Properties

Mechanical Properties

Optical Properties

The technical data sheet (TDS) of Borstar® FB2230 material from Borealis corporation, if there are differences, please refer to the official website of Borealis.

Features & Benefits

• “Low MI High Strength + High Shear Extrudability” Driven by Bimodal Molecular Weight Distribution: 0.20 g/10min at 2.16 kg ensures melt strength of the bubble, while 22 g/10min at 21.6 kg reflects fluidity under high-shear working conditions, preventing bubble oscillation during blowing while allowing processing on conventional LDPE/LLDPE equipment.

• Outstanding Bubble Stability and Draw-down Performance: Capable of stable production across a film thickness range from 10 µm to >200 µm heavy-duty films, ideal for down-gauging to reduce basis weight per unit area while maintaining mechanical properties.

• Outstanding Low-Temperature Toughness: High-molecular-weight fractions allow the film to retain high dart drop impact and puncture energy in frozen/cold-chain environments, suitable for frozen foods, chilled poultry, and ice packaging outer bags.

• Stiffness/Toughness Balance and Puncture Resistance: MD 55 MPa, TD 45 MPa tensile strength + TD 750% elongation at break + total penetration energy 2E+4 J/m, resistant to handling drops and sharp object punctures, yielding low break rates for heavy-duty sacks.

• Environmental Stress Crack Resistance (ESCR) & Good Basic Chemical Resistance: As a polyolefin PE, it remains stable against short-term contact with water, weak acids, bases, and grease; official PDS data for the same grade family shows ESCR (10% Igepal) reaching >5000 h levels, making it suitable for chemical liners and fertilizer/resin packaging.

• Strong Co-extrusion Compatibility: Can be paired with LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, and EVOH/PA barrier layers for 3-layer or 5-layer co-extrusion, offering high formulation flexibility as a sealant layer, load-bearing layer, or outer protective layer.

Applications

• Heavy-Duty & Industrial Packaging: Heavy-duty sacks (25 kg resin/flour/feed bags), chemical liner bags, building material/plastic particle FFS packaging films, compression bundling films (diaper/insulation material compression packs).

• Food & Cold Chain Flexible Packaging: Frozen food bags, meat/poultry/seafood vacuum packaging films, bread/snack outer films, load-bearing/heat-seal layers in stand-up pouch co-extrusion structures.

• Lamination & Composite Films: Laminated with BOPP/BOPET/aluminum foil for candy outer wrappers, sauce pouches, liquid packaging outer films; FB2230 serves as an intermediate load-bearing layer providing inter-layer tear resistance support.

• Agricultural & Outdoor Films: Greenhouse films, silage films, mulching films, weed barrier outer protective layers; low-temperature flexibility facilitates laying films in cold regions and overwintering use.

• Shrink Films & Transport Protection: Bundling shrink films, pallet stretch outer films, e-commerce bulky item protection films—high TD tear and puncture energy reduce shipping bag breakage rates.

• Geotechnical & Construction: Geomembrane co-extrusion layers, temporary hoarding films, anti-seepage liners (non-long-term UV exposure scenarios; outdoor use requires matched UV stabilization systems).

Note: FB2230 itself does not pre-mix slip/antiblock agents (official PDS shows antioxidants included, without listing slip/antiblock), featuring high haze and low gloss, making it unsuitable for high-transparency packaging outer layers; if low friction (COF < 0.3) or high openability is required by the end-use, compounding with masterbatches or surface additives like erucamide and diatomaceous earth is necessary. Official declarations require storage at <50 °C away from UV environments, as improper storage can trigger degradation yellowing and odor.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: With an MI of only 0.20 (2.16 kg), is FB2230 difficult to extrude and does it require a dedicated LLDPE extruder?

A1: A dedicated machine is not required, but processing cannot follow ordinary LLDPE routines. Utilizing Borealis Borstar bimodal technology, FB2230 features low-load high melt strength and good fluidity under high shear, allowing processing on conventional LDPE / LLDPE / HDPE blown film lines. Recommended melt temperature is 190–210 °C, die gap 1.0–1.5 mm, BUR approx. 3:1, frost line height (FLH) 2–4 DD; increasing FLH benefits dart drop impact, while increasing BUR benefits MD/TD property balance. Screws do not require mandatory barrier section modification, but older line LDPE mixing blocks require attention to shear heating and melt pressure monitoring.

Q2: How to choose between FB2230 and transparent engineering plastics like PMMA / PC?

A2: They belong to completely different tracks. PMMA/PC are rigid transparent structural part materials (instrument panels, lenses, housings), whereas FB2230 is a flexible blown film polyolefin, where performance is evaluated by film dart drop, tear, puncture, and low-temperature toughness rather than light transmittance. Rule of thumb: choose PMMA or PC for transparent rigid shells/high-gloss appearance parts; choose high-molecular-weight LLDPE like FB2230 for heavy-duty sacks, frozen films, lamination films, and agricultural films. Using FB2230 for home appliance housings constitutes a grade mismatch.

Q3: What is the regulatory compliance status of this grade, and can it be used for food contact films?

A3: The base resin of FB2230 complies with RoHS frameworks and REACH restricted substance requirements (Borealis product stewardship declarations cover Annex XVII / Annex XIV, TPCH, PPWR, etc.), and is a non-dangerous chemical (Non-DG). Borealis officially provides food contact intermediate compliance declarations meeting EU 10/2011, German BfR, French DGCCRF, etc.; however, whether it can be used for specific foods/temperatures/contact times depends on the end-use film structure, inks, adhesives, and finished product testing. TDS / SDS / COA can be supplied with each batch, though food packaging commercialization remains subject to end-product third-party migration testing.

Q4: Does FB2230 require drying before processing, and what is the allowable regrind ratio?

A4: PE inherently has extremely low moisture absorption. FB2230 does not require forced drying when packaging remains intact and storage humidity is normal; however, if exposed to moisture or re-humidified outdoors, the melt is prone to bubbles/fish eyes, which can be treated with hot air at 60–80 °C for 1–2 h. Regarding regrind, Borealis positions FB2230 as a “high recycle incorporation enabler”, with industrial film production lines commonly running virgin/regrind ratios from 70/30 to 85/15; regrind must be of the same grade, free from printing ink/aluminum foil contamination, and re-tested for MFR, density, dart drop impact, and haze to prevent high-molecular-weight chain scission from degrading film strength.