Flexible packaging – Compostable bags, shoppers and package

Biodegradable accessories by extrusion or injection moulding (e.g. soft profiles, zippers for bags, etc.) can be made with Sipol Technipol® Bio biodegradable polymers Polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) and poly butylene succinate (PBS).

Fully biodegradable Sipol Technipol® poly butylene sebacate can be used as an effective bioadhesive for labels, tapes and gluing in general (with FDA and EU food contact compliance).

Flexible packaging – Oxygen and gas barrier

Thanks to their excellent adhesive properties, the SK Orevac®, Lotader®, Lotryl® and Evatane® famous brands have led for decades the widespread use of multilayer flexible packaging.

The portfolio includes both the high oxygen barrier structure (Evasin® EVOH) and the polar (Evatane®, Lotryl®) or reactive (Orevac®) tie-layers for both blown or cast film coextrusion.

Case Study

A transparent flexible food packaging structure with high oxygen barrier

Opportunity: An high oxygen barrier multi-layer coextruded blown films for flexible food packaging (PE/tie/EVOH structures), where indirect food contact and high transparency are a must (e.g. for meat or cheese packaging).

Tip

Either ready-to-use or concentrated for dilution, SK is your tie-resin Solution provider

The PE based tie-resins Orevac® 18341 (concentrate for dilution) and Orevac® 18362 (ready-to-use) show the best performances vs cost ratio ever supplied by SK functional polymer. Also suitable for antifog structures, pasteurization, and low temperature / short cycles sterilization.

Flexible packaging – Double and triple bubbles

Arkema has a specific, very long-lasting experience on adhesion in very complex flexible structures made in double and triple bubbles, used e.g. for meat and cheese flexible casing.

Case Study

Double and triple bubble food casing

Opportunity: An high or medium oxygen barrier multi-layer double or triple bubble film for flexible LLDPE food casing.

Tip

Guess: What is the best collapsing agent for blown film?

...answer is with your Ambra sales representative

Flexible packaging: Reduce the number of defects, increase productivity

4cleanpure® and 4cleanmix® by 4clean® are non-abrasive, highly efficient and versatile purging compounds.

Case Study

Reduce defects by proper cleaning procedure

Opportunity: One cast film toll-manufacturer had a problem with the amount of defected material produced during campaign changes – especially during color changes, or after shut-downs. One day he called us, desperately looking for a solution.

Tip

PP rigid multi-layer oxygen barrier packaging?

SK PP Orevac® 18728 tie resin plus Evasin® 3251FT EVOH: a one-stop solution

Flexible packaging: Extrusion coating and extrusion lamination

SK Lotryl®, Lotader® or Orevac® PP are used in extrusion coating or extrusion lamination of PE or PP onto other layers such as other polymer films or sheets, plain, metallized or printed plastic films, aluminum foils, cardboard, etc.

Lotryl® MM slipping, anti-block and mineral filled masterbatches, EMA-based, are also available.

Case Study

Universal adhesion of PP resin extrusion coating in food packaging

Opportunity: extrusion coating of PP structures over aluminum and several other substrates for food packaging. Customer required a universal adhesive resin.

Tip

Periodically clean your equipment with 4cleanmix®

To reduce the number of defects in your expensive flexible packaging structure

Easy-peel lids – Bestpeel® universal adhesion

Sealable-peelable multi-layers flexible lids are obtained with Arkema Lotryl® Bestpeel® in combination with Lotader® tie-layer and Lotryl® MM masterbatches.

Bestpeel® guarantees universal adhesion with easy-peel features on flexible, semi-rigid and rigid packaging containers including PP, PS, PET, and PVC.

Grades with special transparency are also available.

Case Study

A transparent peel-off flexible lid for food packaging

Opportunity: Customer asked us for support to increase the transparency of his peel-off structure for flexible food packaging.

Tip

Fine tune your peeling strength

Arkema Lotryl® Bestpeel® compounds are universal ready-to-use resins for versatile seal-peel structures, with superior adhesive and peel-off properties on PP, PS, PET, PVC. You can also fine tune peeling properties with Arkema specific Lotryl® MM masterbatch series, based on Lotryl® EMA carriers.

Flexible packaging: Reduce the number of defects, increase productivity in coex multi-layer structures

Complex structures with barrier properties, transparent multi-layer films, extrusion coating on aluminum or other supports – all very expensive packaging where you do not want quality defects but need very high productivity.

4cleanpure® and 4cleanmix® by 4clean® are highly efficient and versatile purging compounds with a well-documented record of success cases. They are easy to use, quick, non-abrasive, very efficient on black specs, transparent productions and material change NSF certified.

Call us and submit us the cleaning issue which gives you the worst headaches. 4clean will transform your nightmares in sweet dreams.

Case Study

Reduce defects by proper cleaning procedure (1)

Opportunity: One cast film toll-manufacturer had a problem with the amount of defected material produced during campaign changes – especially during color changes, or after shut-downs. One day he called us, desperately looking for a solution.

Rigid packaging: sheet extrusion, blow moulding and injection moulding

Lotte Starex® ABS, MABS, ASA and Infino® PC extrusion and injection grades for rigid packaging by injection and extrusion is also available – also in transparent and nuanced versions.

Basic and hyperfilled polyolefin compounds for semi-rigid, rigid and expanded packaging and mono-use tableware are available at Mesgo, covering a wide range of hyperfilled compounds, including Altair® PE, Avior® PP, Izar® PS and ABS and Mirach® PVC.

Mesgo has also developed specific compounds for corrugated sheets and rigid packaging in general, including color masterbatches, hyperfilled PP and ABS (talc, calcium carbonate), halogenated and halogen-free flame retardant compounds and masterbatches (SwingAdd®), electrical conductive polymers for special packaging (e.g. automotive, electrics and electronics).

Mepol main products are the mineral or glass fiber Meplen® PP and Mepron® PS compounds. The ECO versions contain variable percentages of recycled polymers.

Small batches with great span of colors on various polymers including PP, PS, ABS, ASA, SAN, PC, PC/ABS, PC/ASA, PMMA are available by our partner Colortech.

Case Study

Corrugated sheets for the packaging of glass bottles

Opportunity: Customer was looking for a solution at reasonable cost for corrugated sheets for glass bottles transport spacing, with dimensional and mechanical stability, easy processing features and proper coloration.

Tip

Money saving or performance for your thermoformed sheet?

Do not trade-off, ask for Mesgo Avior® PP and Altair® PE hyperfilled calcium carbonate masterbatches. Up to 84% mineral content, perfectly free-flowing.

Rigid packaging: Multi-layer gas-barrier structures

Multilayer and high oxygen barrier rigid PP structures by blow moulding or sheet coextrusion / thermoforming may be obtained with the specific SK Orevac® 18730 PP tie resin and Evasin® 3251FT EVOH, offering a one-stop solution. Orevac® 18730 is phthalate-free, and – being based on PP homo-polymer - it is suitable for retort and sterilization processes. Applications range from trays to bottles and jars, tubes, coffee capsules, etc.

Tip

PP rigid multi-layer oxygen barrier packaging?

SK PP Orevac® 18730 tie resin plus Evasin® 3251FT EVOH: a one-stop solution

Rigid packaging: Antistatic, dissipative, conductive

Mesgo has one of the largest installed capacities in Europe for the production of carbon black compounds. Electrical conductive Altair® PE, Avior® PP, Izar® PS and ABS and Merach® PVC are used for the transport of goods where a factive dissipation is crucial – e.g. electronics.

Antistatic properties should be instead achieved to avoid dust and dirt deposition, e.g. for small jars of various polymers matrixes, or the classic HDPE 200lt drums or 1000lt IBC containers. Lotader® or Orevac® are the number one choice compatibilizers for the most common permanent antistatic additives on the market.

Color antistatic compounds are available by Mesgo or Colortech (smaller batches). Mesgo hyperfilled masterbatches for temporary anti-static agents are also available.

Case Study

HDPE drums with permanent antistatic properties

Opportunity: Classical 200 litres drums by blow-moulding, customer needed to compatibilize a permanent antistatic additive in the HDPE matrix.

Rigid packaging: Chemical resistance

Chemical resistance is desired for jars which must contain aggressive fluids, powders or chips, such as for the transportation and storage of chemicals and agrochemicals. In this case the main matter is to prevent the corrosion of the packaging, and therefore to ensure safety for humans and the environment.

Short and long chain polyamides are also often used for their good combination of chemical and thermal resistance. Specific PA6 and PA6.6 compounds for chemical resistance are available with Poliblend Polimid® portfolio. Specific tailor-made Ambramid® PA6 and PA6.6 can also be developed.

Long-chain polyamides are available with Nexis Fibers PA6.10 and 6.12.

Chemical resistant packaging may also often require gas-barrier properties, to avoid the potential permeation of corrosive, toxic or smelly vapours to the external environment.

Very high gas-barrier properties in general require the use of Arkema Orevac® tie-layer plus Evasin® EVOH by multi-layer blow moulding or sheet extrusion / thermoforming in complex structures.

Rigid packaging: Reduce the number of defects, increase productivity (2)

As well as in flexible packaging, 4cleanpure® and 4cleanmix® by 4clean will help to increase both your quality and productivity.

Case Study

Reduce defects by proper cleaning procedure (2)

Opportunity: A producer of multi-layer rigid food packaging experienced defects problems during switching from one production run to another.

Tip

Will 4clean add costs or save your money?

Make a trial on your extruder with 4cleanpure® or 4cleanmix® and 4clean + Ambra technical staff. Then you can answer the dilemma.

Processing aids, Flame retardants, Conductivity, Colors and Polymer modification

Mesgo SwingAdd® additive masterbatches help to reduce the temperature degradation, improve the lifetime on UV and oxidation exposure, improve polymer processability, scratch resistance, decrease the water content. SwingAdd® are available as single-function additive or as a combined proprieties or colors (combi-batches).

Mesgo also has a core-competence in flame retardants: SwingAdd® Halogen, Low-Halogen and Halogen-Free flame retardant masterbatches help to reach the most severe flammability regulation.

Jazzwhite® and Tangoblack® masterbatches are produced in large volumes at Mesgo Grigno plant, and they show very high concentration and excellent dispersion of the pigments on polyolefins, styrenics, PA and other engineering polymers at very reasonable costs. Color masterbatches are produced at Mesgo Iride Colors, with very high flexibility also for small batches.

SK functional polyolefins are also widely employed to modify and homogenize all basic polymers which are used for food and non-food packaging, including PE, PP, PS, PET, PA, ABS, virgin, mineral filled, compounded and reprocessed. This is usually done by pre-compounding the blends, but due to the special chemistry of SK functional polyolefins, in some cases these functional polyolefins can be added directly during extrusion as pre-blends or masterbatches.

Lotader® maleic grades are used to modify PA, while Lotader® AX grades for polyesters, Lotryl® T and Evatane® for polyolefins.

Case Study

Improving low-temperature performance of a cPET tray

Opportunity: Customer produces cPET trays. cPET has high thermal resistance (can be put in microwave ovens) but is very brittle at fridge or freeze temperatures. So he wanted to improve impact resistance for a specific tray for meat packaging.

Tip

Remove water from your polyolefin

SwingAdd® PE dessiccant masterbatch is an hyperfilled universal moisture adsorber, which was designed both for hygroscopic virgin polymers and for reprocessing, with food contact approval.

Recycling: nobilitation of mono-material regrinds

The EU proposal for new regulation on the ban or reduction of Single-use plastics to reduce marine litter poses serious changes to the plastic packaging industry.

One focus is the increase of the use or recycled plastics into plastic packaging. Forerunner is Germany with a new law effective from January 1st, 2019, setting a mandatory increase of the recycling rate for plastic packaging from the current 36% to 63% by 2022. These new laws challenge the plastic and packaging industries to switch to high quality recycling.

SK POF and Ambra together always had a big focus on the nobilitation of plastic regrinds.

Single polymer regrinds are the easiest to ennoble, as they do not require usually any compatibilization. With good production design and practices, consumer education and closed-loop recovery practice, the rate of is expected to increase more and more over multi-materials. These single materials include mostly (L)LDPE, HDPE, PP, PET, and they mostly require an upgrade of mechanical properties without any compatibilization.

SK POF Evatane® and Lotryl® T are commonly used for this purpose in case of polyolefins and polyesters, and they can be added by pre-blending or direct dosage during extrusion. With the support of Arkema, Ambra also developed its own range of Ambra Impact and Ambra Upgrade portfolio, as low cost additives.

Case Study

Improving the mechanical performance of a recycled LDPE film

Opportunity: Customer produces a blown film for industrial use with LDPE regrind coming from different sources, but material is too stiff and fragile.

Tip

From “downcycling” to recycling

SK functional polymers and Ambra are supporting packaging companies in their challenge to reuse post-production and post-consumer waste at high value.

Recycling: nobilitation of multi-material regrinds

Conversely, several packaging materials are composed of various layers, polymers and fillers, to ensure the desired properties. This is clearly the case for flexible and rigid food packaging. A main issue here is to compatibilize multi-layer regrinds in one single polymer matrix containing various polymers (polyolefins, polyesters, barrier polymers, biodegradable polymers and PVC) and mineral fillers (calcium carbonate, other fillers and additives).

Reactive functional polyolefins by SK (Orevac®, Lotader®) and Ambra (Impact, Upgrade) are the elective choice. In this case a recompounding step may be necessary – see section “COMPOUNDING & RECYCLING” – but thanks to the high reactivity, easy processing and versatility of our materials, a pre-blending or direct dosage in the extruder may suffice in many cases without the need of an intermediate step.

Examples include nobilitation of barrier multi-layer packaging regrinds (PA, EVOH, PE, PO, PET, PS with mineral fillers, colors and additives), PET flakes from bottles polluted with polyolefin corks, aluminum-plastic flexible structures, etc.

Case Study

Renobilitation of multi-layer flexible packaging regrind

Customer is a producer of flexible food packaging. They were reselling their multi-layer production waste (PE, PA, EVOH) at very low price. They asked us if we could help in ennoble the waste at very low production costs.

Tip

Polyolefin regrind nobilitation at low cost

Impact PO range was specifically designed to improve mechanical properties of rPO at very reasonable cost.

Recycling: additional challenges in post-consumer packaging waste

Beside inhomogeneity and pollutants contents, post-consumer packaging waste pose several additional challenges.

Residual water content can be removed with Mesgo SwingAdd® PE dessiccant masterbatch.

Esthetic properties can be significantly improved with Mesgo Jazzwhite®, Tangoblack® and color masterbatches.

Issues on bad smell on any reprocessed polyolefin can be overcome by Ambra Upgrade MBF fragrance masterbatches with very high perfuming power - based on Pollena Aroma® or Amitahc Flavors & Fragrances huge know-how on fragrances with a library of thousands of scents, and SK Evatane® or Lotryl® highly impregnating resins. Tailor-made Upgrade MB with desired fragrance matching is also available.

Case Study

Decrease water content in repro LDPE film

Opportunity: A producer of flexible PE packaging needed to improve the quality of his rPE film

Tip

Smelly regrinds?

Amitahc Flavors & Fragrancesor Pollena Aroma® fragrances plus SK Evatane® and Lotryl® carriers = Ambra Upgrade MBF fragrance masterbatches. With any new or matched scent you wish.