High-barrier resins

Performance of High-Barrier Resins with Platelet-Type Fillers... 

Table I. Melt Processible High Barrier Resins...

Practical packaging applications for platelet-filled high barrier resins have been identified. 

With the growing demand for coextruded products, barrier plastics have shown significant growth in the last several years. Historically, the high barrier resins market has been dominated by three leading materials — vinylidene chloride (VDC) copolymers, ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymers, and nitrile resins. Since 1985, however, there has been a lot of interest worldwide in the development of moderate to intermediate barrier resins, as apparent from the introduction of a number of such resins, notably, aromatic nylon MXD-6 from Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, amorphous nylons SELAR PA by Du Pont and NovamidX21 by Mitsubishi Chemical Industries, polyacrylic-imide copolymer EXL (introduced earlier as XHTA) by Rohm and Haas and copolyester B010 by Mitsui/Owens-Illinois. 

The effect of orientation on oxygen permeability of the medium and high barrier resins is seen to be dependent upon the morphological nature of the barrier resin prior to orientation. A plot of the oxygen transmission rates as a function of the overall draw ratio (figure 3) illustrates this clearly. While the semicrystalline polymers, VDC copolymer, and aromatic nylon MXD-6, show little change in the permeability with moderate amounts of orientation in the solid state, orientation of the amorphous polymers SELAR PA 3426 and XHTA-50A causes reduction in the permeability by 5-30% in both resins, depending upon the overall level of orientation. 

Barex . [BP Chem. Inc.] Acrylonitrile-methacrylate copolym, rubber modified high barrier resins in inj. molding and extrusion grades for film, sheet, blow and inj. molding appUcs. 

Coextrusion. An increasingly popular technique to produce tailored film or sheet products is to coextmde one or more polymer types in two or more layers of melt (6). In this fashion the benefits of specific polymer types or formulations may be combined. Thus high cost barrier resins may be combined with a low cost thicker layer of standard resin to achieve an optimum barrier film at lower cost. Thin sUp-control layers may be used on the surface of a bulk layer of opticaUy clear resin to obtain an aesthetic film with good handleabUity. Lower melting outer layers may be used to provide heat sealing for polymers that seal with difficulty by themselves. 

As an excellent barrier resin, PTEE is widely used in the chemical industry. However, it is a poor barrier for fluorocarbon oils because similarity in the chemical composition of a barrier and a permeant increases permeation. Most Hquids and gases (other than fluorocarbons) do not permeate highly crystalline PTFE. Permeabilities at 30deg C (in mol/(m-s-Pa) X 10 ) are as follows CO2, 0.93 N2, 0.18 He, 2.47 anhydrous HCl, <0.01 (89). 

Poly(ethylene-i (9-vinyl alcohol) is made by saponification of ethylene—vinyl acetate copolymers. The properties of these materials depend on the amount of vinyl alcohol present in the copolymer. High vinyl alcohol content results in more hydrophilic materials possessing higher densities, stiffness, and moduh. They are used commercially as barrier resins for packaging. Important producers include Du Pont and EVALCA (74) (see Barrier polymers). 

During the 1970s there was considerable interest for a time in copolymers with a high acrylonitrile content for use as barrier resins, i.e. packaging materials with low permeability to gases. Problems associated with free acrylonitrile have, however, led to the virtual disappearance of these materials from the market. 

Tests have been conducted with Monsanto high barrier nitrile resins using the common food simulating solvents (Table X) plus some typical beverages. Conditioning times and temperatures were based on applicable FDA regulations and guidelines (16). 

Our studies of the absorption, permeation, and extraction properties of containers produced from high nitrile barrier resins have demonstrated that they meet or surpass the basic criteria established for retention of taste and odor characteristics of carbonated soft drinks. Sensory tests, which can isolate and identify end results as well as integrate collective effects, have confirmed this judgement and have established the general compatibility of these containers with a variety of beverage products from a taste and odor standpoint. Furthermore, these materials have the excellent physical properties required for containers which will find wide use in food and beverage packaging. 

Extrusion. Sheet, film, and profiled articles are made by extrusion (20). The resin is melted and forced through a die plate or head. Variations include multilayer and blown film applications. In multilayer coextrusions, different combinations of plastics are separately but concurrently extruded to form layered sheet or film. In the packaging industry, specialty resins such as high barrier ethylene—vinyl alcohol copolymers are combined with heat- and impact-resistant thermoplastics for food packages. The properties of each resin layer are additive, as opposed to the "averaging of property" in blends. Multilayers are also used for blow-molded containers, films, and sheet products (see also Film AND sheeting materials). 

In barrier packaging, it is generally accepted that orientation of the barrier resin reduces its gas permeability. Most of the published data, however, corresponds to low barrier resins. No supporting data exists yet for either high or intermediate barrier resins. To fill that void, the orientability and the sensitivity of oxygen permeability to orientation for six competitive oxygen barrier resins were evaluated. The barrier resins evaluated in this investigation include an experimental... 

Keldax . [DuPont] Ethylene interpolymer composition with high load-ittgs of inorganic fillers thermoplastic sound barrier resins fv automotive, business madiines, industrial equip. 

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