New cost effective substitute for PET food packaging and dairy bottles

17-Sep-08

BASF AG has unveiled a new impact-resistant polystyrene (PS) grade, BX 3580 as a cost effective substitute for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for blown molded food packaging such as dairy bottles normally made from high density polyethylene (HDPE) or PET. BASF joined forces with ALPLA, one of the world's largest manufacturer of plastic beverage bottles, to come up with a bottle for milk and yoghurt beverages using impact resistant Polystyrene (PS-I). BASF's BX 3580 grade can be processed by injection blow molding and injection stretch blow molding on the same machines used for PET. The lower density of Polystyrene in comparison to PET can slash material costs by up to 25%. Also, Polystyrene does not have to be pre-dried thereby, resulting in less compressed air used by injection stretch blow molding.