Alternative to mPE’s and ULDPE’s for Packaging Applications, 1999 Polymers, Laminations & Coatings Conference Proceedings

Amy B. Hitchcock--Packaging applications include many rapidly developing, increasingly demanding film applications. Important characteristics for many of these applications are heat seal and hot tack properties, impact strength, and low temperature physical properties. Each type of polymer has unique strengths and weaknesses that contribute to its overall property balance and define the specific markets in which the polymer can effectively compete. As consumer demands increase, film suppliers search for polymers or combinations of polymers that will economically provide the best combination of film properties. In the past nine months, two families of polymers have been introduced that, when used alone, in blends, or in co-extruded

structures, provide alternatives to conventional metallocene (single-site) and ultra low density polyethylenes. These new polymers combine low seal initiation temperatures, broad hot tack windows, and overall toughness to meet the challenging demand of today’s packaging applications.