Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer - EVOH - Chapter

Of commercial barrier polymers, only the ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymers (see Chapter 14) show greater resistemce to gas permeability. However, the EVOH materials exhibit much higher levels of moisture absorption. 

In this chapter we discuss PVT and surface properties of three sets of random copolymers. Monomer units are ethylene, vinyl alcohol, and vinyl acetate, as well as styrene and acrylonitrile. Random copolymers comprising these monomers are used widely. As an example, ethylene-vinyl alcohol random copolymers (EVOHs) have excellent gas barrier properties. They are used for food-packaging films or in fuel tank liners [Takahashi et al., 1999 Alvarez et al., 2003 Ito et al., 2003 Lopez-Rubio et al., 2003 Muramatsu et al. 2003]. 

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