South Korea’s leading global chemical company, LG Chem, and the extrusion machine manufacturer Reifenhäuser have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), confirming further extensive cooperation.

The aim is to further develop and market competitive Machine Direction Oriented (MDO)-PE blown films and flat films for recyclable packaging. The partners are building on a successful track record. 

In May 2024, the companies had presented a MDO-PE film measuring only 18 micrometers (µm), which had been produced on an EVO Ultra Stretch blown film line from Reifenhäuser with specially developed PE materials (Polyethylene).

Bernd Reifenhäuser, CEO of the Reifenhäuser Group, says: “The demand for flexible mono-material packaging is growing rapidly. But MDO-PE films must be stable and economical to produce in order to make the leap from a niche to a broad market. With LG Chem and Reifenhäuser, we have found the perfect match of raw material, extrusion technology and process know-how that will pave the way. For the first time, processors will be able to produce recyclable MDO-PE films at competitive production costs in a stable process that can be optimally further processed.”

Dr. Lee Choong Hoon, Vice President and Head of NCC/PO Business Unit at LG Chem, adds: “We are very pleased to have found an experienced technology partner in Reifenhäuser to successfully combine sustainability and profitability. Our combined technology has achieved unprecedented records in downgauging MDO-PE film – and that was just the beginning. We will continue this path together to accelerate the recyclability for flexible packaging.”

Further downgauging for competitiveness

With perfectly coordinated system technology and formulation, processors in the future will receive a tried and tested, complete package for immediate market access in the field of flexible mono-PE packaging. LG Chem and Reifenhäuser are also working on further reducing material consumption by downgauging towards the level of conventional PET-PE laminates and thus making the production of MDO-PE films more profitable. 

Technically, this is achieved due to the different densities of PET film and MDO-PE film by replacing the standard 12 µm PET film with a 16 to 17 µm MDO-PE film. With the reduction to 18 µm, the partners are already very close to achieving this goal. However, the experts see further potential. 

“The downgauging limit has not yet been reached,” says Christoph Lettowsky, Technical Sales Manager at Reifenhäuser Blown Film. “Thanks to the patented position of our MDO Ultra Stretch unit directly in the line's haul-off, the film is stretched from the first heat. This makes the process particularly stable, which is otherwise often the limiting factor for material reduction. We therefore see even more scope, which we will use in combination with further recipe developments for even thinner films in the future.”

The 18 µm MDO PE film without PFAS additives was produced stably and reproducibly over many hours in test runs at the Reifenhäuser technical center and then printed and processed into finished pouches. The demand for PFAS-free materials is growing mainly in Europe as PFAS does not decompose in nature and has negative impacts on the environment. International guests were able to see the reliability of the process and the performance of the film for themselves at an open house on November 7.