Comparison of the Oil, Oxygen and Water Vapor Permeation Rates of Various Polyethylene Blown Films, 1996 Polymers, Laminations & Coatings Conference Proceedings

The barrier properties of packaging materials determine the shelf-life of many food products, and provide other required packaging characteristics. While certain foods require moisture protection, others require low or minimal oxygen exposure to achieve longer shelf lives. In addition, many packaged foods contain natural oils, flavors or aromas that can create handling, aesthetic or odor problems. Polyethylene resins are frequently included in single and multi-layer film structures used for packaging products that require low water vapor, controlled oxygen, or low grease/oil permeation rates. High density polyethylene films are known to provide excellent water vapor barrier properties, however, only limited information is available on the grease/oil and oxygen permeation rates of different polyethylene-based films. Information is presented on the oil penetration, oxygen and water vapor transmission rates of various polyethylene blown films. Resins evaluated include high density polyethylene, high molecular weight high density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, and a metallocene-based polyethylene. Data presented include permeation rate versus gauge for these resins. In addition, the effect of different processing conditions on permeation rate is investigated.