Opening ceremony of new facility for production of polypropylene film (BOPP) has been held at Turkmenbashy Refinery Complex.
Members of the Government, top managers of oil and gas industry, city administration and public organization, elders as well as foreign petrochemical partners took part in the event.
Establishment of big facilities for production of polymers, which are the main component for production of many goods used in industry, construction, transport, agriculture as well as wide spectrum of household items, is one of perspective directions of development tof oil and gas branch.
Total cost of this project is around 31 million 700 thousand euros. Annual output of technological line assembled at the plant is 21 thousand of bi-axial oriented polypropylene film (BOPP).
The BOPP films occupy the leading positions moving aside such competitors as cellophane, foil, polyamide or polyethylene fluoride as they have many advantages. These are high durability at small density and weight, relatively small cost and wide range for different purposes, resistance to high and low temperature, inertia, owing to which it is an excellent choice for food packing, resistance to sunlight, high humidity and oxygen, microbes, mould and absence of own odour.
Depending on its type, the film has different level of transparency. It is easy to process. It can be welded, cut, printed or placed on metal surfaces. New layers can be added that will give new characteristics like protection of accumulation of static electricity, etc.
TPP 382 BF produced by Turkmenbashy Refinery Complex is used as the material at new facility. It has an excellent dielectric feature, high transparency and durability, resistance during processing. By its parameters and operational characteristics, this polymer meets international standards including for food products and medicine.
Technological process of production of three-layered BOPP starts from loading the material – the polypropylene, to special vessels, which are installed in separate section of the plant. After, it goes to extruder where it melt under the temperature of 240 degrees and pressure of 36-38 kg per square meter. Hot substance is equally distributed on the surface of rotating drum, which is placed in the bath with cold water for cooling.
The film, which upper and lower layers consist of co-polymers while the middle one bearing the main load of polypropylene, is formed during casting process. At initial stage, it is quite thick but after it is stretched in the longitudinal and transverse directions using special devices at certain temperature and pressure until required sizes. After, film canvas with the width of 7000 mm and width of 10 – 80 microns is rolled by special device removing electric charges. It is cooled down during 4 – 6 hours and after, cut in bands of required sizes acquiring tits commercial presentation.
Depending on the width, the BOPP film can be used as packing material in food, textile, pharmaceutical, perfume, cosmetic industry, agriculture and many other fields. For example, it is excellent for packing of sugar, grain, ice-cream, tea, mineral water, bakery, pastry, confectionary, flowers, clothes, souvenirs and other, in addition, the BOPP film is used in technical purposes – during production of condensers, adhesive and stationary tapes, stickers. Therefore, new product, which started to be made by Turkmen petrochemical industry, has great sale market both in our country and abroad.
It is worth mentioning that the staff of new facility consists of 89 engineering and technical, main and auxiliary personnel.
During operation tests at the Turkmenbashy Refinery Complex, the production of three types of film has been developed. These are single three-layer film with the width of 10, 20 and 30 microns. Around 40 tons of this product has been already sold at the State Commodity and Raw Material Exchange of Turkmenistan. Today, another batch of polypropylene film has been shipped to the facilities of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of the country.
