Israeli masterbatch and compound manufacturer Tosaf (Afula; www.tosaf.com) has developed additive masterbatches that are specifically tailored to biaxially-oriented polyethylene films. The portfolio currently includes slip, antiblock, antistatic and antifog additives; manufacturers can use them individually or in combination.

The move is in response to the ongoing shift in disposable packaging from multilayer to mono-material films that are easier to recycle. Tosaf said BOPE-based films enable high-performance solutions that can be superior to conventional biaxially-oriented polypropylene packaging films in terms of processing and cost-efficiency.

The company has worked closely with equipment manufacturer Brückner Maschinenbau (Siegsdorf / Germany; www.brueckner.com) to validate the processing properties of its new BOPE masterbatches, adding that pilot tests have shown they meet high optical and functional requirements without compromising mechanical properties. Additionally, the results demonstrated the BOPE additive’s suitability for producing inline machine direction oriented (MDO) films, which the Israeli firm said are emerging as another strong production trend.