Fully Recyclable Packaging with MDO Technology

Flexible packaging is hugely popular and common in the food, beverage and cosmetics industry. Traditionally, these packaging products utilise multiple layers of polythene film, including PET reinforcement layers, to produce extremely strong and durable products that provide extra puncture and tear resistance. However, traditional manufacturing processes result in final packaging that is not recyclable due to the mixture of chemistries which are extremely difficult to separate.

Key supply partner, INEOS, has a recyclable solution for this application by leveraging the power of Machine Direction Orientation (MDO) equipment.

MDO is a bolt on system that can be added to most blown film lines. By simply heating and stretching the PE layers, the tensile strength of the polythene film layers in this type of packaging can be massively increased, resulting in a multilayer PE film that replicates the strength of films that utilise PET, whilst being fully recyclable.

To the right is an image of Hosokawa-Alpine MDO machinery.

Two solutions – only one is recyclable

The MDO process explained

Machine Direction Orientation (MDO) is a four stage process of heating, stretching, annealing and cooling, as explained below:

Strength improvements  - from 30% to 200%

Introducing MDO orientation to your film applications can increase the strength of your films considerably. Using one of our HDPE grades, INEOS HD6009FA, the secant modulus was tested in standard and MDO modified film with noticeable improvements. Other benefits include a jump in the optics with improvements to the haze values.

INEOS & MDO techology

Key supply partner, INEOS Olefins & Polymers Europe, has recently invested in a new blown film line which includes MDO-multilayer equipment. Together with Ineos and its new capabilities, we can develop perfectly formulated polyethylene and polypropylene-based, recyclable, flexible packaging that fits your project requirements.

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