Shrinkage oriented films

Biaxial Orientation. Many polymer films require orientation to achieve commercially acceptable performance (10). Orientation may be uniaxial (generally in the machine direction [MD]) or biaxial where the web is stretched or oriented in the two perpendicular planar axes. The biaxial orientation may be balanced or unbalanced depending on use, but most preferably is balanced. Further, this balance of properties may relate particularly to tensile properties, tear properties, optical birefringence, thermal shrinkage, or a combination of properties. A balanced film should be anisotropic, although this is difficult to achieve across the web of a flat oriented film. 

Thermoshrinking single- and double-axis-oriented anticorrosion films are produced from polyolefines. Particularly, CEVA-based oriented films show up to 50% shrinkage at 90-100°C temperatures [3]. 

Keywords biaxial orientation, film blowing, film tentering, structure of oriented PP, mechanical properties of oriented PP, BOPP, packaging, cast film, tubular film, inflation film, amorphous orientation, crystalline orientation, morphology, haze, optical properties, gloss, shrinkage, permeability... 

Some cast (unoriented) polypropylene film is produced. Its clarity and heat sealabiUty make it ideal for textile packaging and overwrap. The use of copolymers with ethylene improves low temperature impact, which is the primary problem with unoriented PP film. Orientation improves the clarity and stiffness of polypropylene film, and dramatically increases low temperature impact strength. BOPP film, however, is not readily heat-sealed and so is coextmded or coated with resins with lower melting points than the polypropylene shrinkage temperature. These layers may also provide improved barrier properties. 

The modification of PET with low levels of naphthalate comonomer increases the Tg and enables optimally oriented articles (films, fibers, containers, etc.) to resist higher temperatures without shrinkage. Heat setting under tension may be applied to further extend thermal stability. In addition, when retention of optical transparency is required, such copolymers crystallize less readily than PET, and may readily be quenched from the melt to the transparent, amorphous state. Thus,... 

Hot blown plastic films usually do not possess sufficient orientation to be heat shrinkable at temperatures below 100°C. For certain shrink packaging applications low temperature shrinkage is essential and can be obtained by biaxial orientation below the melting point. Radiation crosslinking was found to facilitate orientation of these copolymers greatly because of the much greater bubble stability which results from crosslinking. 

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