Basic description of the most used films/material for flexible packaging

1. FLEXIBLE PACKAGING
(BASIC FILMS / RAW MATERIALS FOR CONVERTING)

2. 1.- POLYETHYLENE (PE)
• It is the oldest thermoplastic film
• It can be: Transparent, Metallized, or White
• Thickness range between 25µ to 100µ
• Excellent heat sealability
• It is only suitable for flexo printing
• PE is a film with very low barrier properties
• It is only suitable to protect against moisture
• This material is mainly used as an inner layer for laminates
• It is also used as single layer to pack products requiring low protection
like: Frozen vegetables, Frozen Fish, Napkins, …

3. 2.- CAST POLYPROPYLENE (CPP)
• It is very similar to PE but with better machinability properties
• Thickness range between 20µ to 40µ
• It is transparent, but with a more crystalic view compared to PE
• It has very low protection barrier values
• Better printability properties than PE, but still must be printed in flexo
• Used as simple layer for applications such as toast bread or cupcakes
• Not used as laminating layer

4. 3.- BI-ORIENTED POLYPROPYLENE (BOPP)
• It is the most used thermoplastic film
• Thickness range between 15µ to 40µ (most between 20µ-30µ)
• It can be : transparent, white, opaque, metallized, lacquered, pearly, …
• It has very lower heat sealing properties than PE or CPP
• Better barrier properties than PE or CPP, but still low
• Excellent printability in flexo or rotogravure
• Used as simple- or laminated layer
• Used in Snacks, pasta, dish was powders, biscuits, frozen food, …

5. 4.- (BI) ORIENTED POLYESTER (BOPET - PET)
• Thickness: 12µ (recently found in 8/9µ)
• It has no heat sealing capability
• Very high barrier properties
• Excellent printability properties
• Used as part of a lamination
• Used in Cheese, meat, detergents, coffee, soups, …

6. 5.- ORIENTED POLYAMIDE (OPA)
• Most usual thickness: 15µ
• It has no sealing properties (needs a sealing layer)
• It has high protection barrier values
• Medium printability properties
• Used in laminations in combination (at least) with a sealing layer
• Applications: Chesse & meat (thermoforming), spaghetti, …,
• Pharma applications: Mainly in cold forming, …

7. 6.- PAPER
• It is not (obviously) a plastic film
• It has no sealing properties (needs a sealing layer)
• It has no protection barrier values
• Printable in flexo and rotogravure
• Used in laminations in combination (at least) with a sealing layer
• Applications: Sachets (Pharma & Food), bread, Tee, Coffee, …

8. 7.- ALUMINIUM
• It is not (obviously) a plastic film
• It has no sealing properties (needs a sealing layer)
• It has excellent barrier properties
• Its printability is relatively poor
• Used in laminations in combination (at least) with a sealing layer
• Usually it is combined in a sendwich between a sealing- & printing layer
• Applications: Sachets (Pharma & Food), Tee, Coffee, …

9. 8.- OTHERS
• There are other films/materials like “Lacquered films” (acrylic, PVDC, …),
“Coextruded films” or “Coated materials” that can be also combined in a
large range of laminations
• The important idea of all this story is to keep in mind that:
For each application there is the film / material / lamination
that optimizes the packaging purposes

10. Some of the graphics come from public documents or web sites, and have been used with the sole intention of delivering the messsage.
There are no commercial purposes behind this document
José L. Giráldez (jose.madrid.es@googlemail.com)
More interesting info in Slideshare & Pinterest