Metallised PET film exhibits robust mechanical properties, making it a reliable material for various applications. It offers good tensile strength, tear resistance, and dimensional stability. These properties make it suitable for applications that require strength and durability. The film is capable of withstanding external forces without easily tearing or deforming.
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This makes it an ideal choice for packaging, where it can protect the contents inside. Additionally, the film's dimensional stability ensures that it maintains its shape and size even under different environmental conditions.
Metallised PET film offers excellent barrier properties against moisture, gases, and odours, making it an ideal choice for various packaging applications. The metal layer in the film acts as a barrier, preventing the transmission of these substances through the film.
This is particularly important in packaging where protection against moisture and oxygen is crucial. metallised PET film provides a reliable and effective solution for maintaining the freshness and quality of packaged products. It ensures that moisture and gases cannot penetrate the film, keeping the contents safe and preserving their shelf life.
The barrier properties of metallised PET film also help prevent odours from escaping or entering the packaging, ensuring that the product remains odour-free.
You will find that metallised PET film offers impressive thermal properties. This versatile material has good thermal stability, allowing it to withstand high temperatures without deformation. Additionally, it has low thermal conductivity, making it suitable for applications that require insulation properties.
Met PET film can be laminated with other materials to further enhance its thermal properties. These thermal characteristics make metallised PET film ideal for various industries. It can be used in packaging applications to provide efficient thermal insulation to products.
With its ability to regulate heat and light transmission, metallised PET film is also used in solar control applications.
When comparing metallised PET film and aluminium foil, you'll find differences in gas tightness, tear resistance, flexibility, weight, corrosion sensitivity, and wrinkle-proneness. metallised PET film is less gas-tight than aluminium foil, but it offers better tear resistance, and flexibility, and is lighter in weight.
It is also less prone to corrosion and wrinkles compared to pure aluminium foil. While aluminium foil provides a higher level of gas-tightness, metallised PET film compensates for its other properties. The tear resistance of metallised PET film makes it more durable, and its flexibility allows for easier handling and wrapping. Additionally, the lighter weight of metallised PET film can be advantageous in certain applications.
So, when choosing between the two, consider the specific requirements of your project to determine which material is the best fit.
Now let's explore the applications and uses of metallised PET film. In the packaging industry, metallised PET film is widely used for flexible packaging, labels, and pouches due to its attractive appearance and excellent barrier properties.
Whereas, in the electronics industry, it finds applications in flexible printed circuits, electromagnetic shielding, and insulation, thanks to its reflectivity and low transmittance properties.
Utilising its reflective surface and excellent barrier properties, metallised PET film finds extensive application in the packaging industry for flexible packaging, labels, and pouches. The reflective surface of the film adds an attractive and premium appearance to the packaging, making it eye-catching to consumers. Additionally, the metallised PET film provides excellent barrier properties, protecting the contents from moisture, gases, and UV radiation.
This ensures that the packaged products remain fresh and protected throughout their shelf life. The film's ability to block out UV radiation also helps in preserving the quality and colour of the packaged products. Furthermore, the film's flexibility allows for easy customisation and shaping, making it suitable for various packaging formats.
Metallised PET film is extensively utilised in the electronics industry for various applications and uses. Its high reflectivity and low transmittance properties make it suitable for flexible printed circuits, electromagnetic shielding, and insulation. In flexible printed circuits, the film provides a flexible and lightweight substrate for electronic components. It also offers excellent insulation properties, protecting the circuit from external factors.
Additionally, metallised PET film is used for electromagnetic shielding, preventing interference and maintaining signal integrity. Its reflective properties make it ideal for reflective insulation and light control in electronic devices. The film's strength, flexibility, and thermal stability contribute to efficient performance and protection for electronic components. With its unique properties, metallised PET film continues to find new applications in the electronics industry, driving innovation and sustainability
One reason metallised PET film is commonly used in packaging is that it offers excellent barrier properties. The metal layer on the film's surface provides a strong barrier against moisture, gases, and odours, ensuring that the contents of the packaging remain fresh and protected.
Additionally, metallised PET film is lightweight and flexible, making it easy to handle and package various products. Its tear resistance and dimensional stability further contribute to its suitability for packaging applications. Moreover, the film's high reflectivity and low transmittance properties enhance the visual appeal of the packaging, making it eye-catching and attractive to consumers.
Metallised PET film is also a cost-effective and more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional packaging materials, making it a popular choice for manufacturers in the industry.
When selecting metallised PET film for packaging, you should consider several factors to ensure that it meets the specific requirements and provides the desired level of barrier protection for your product.
First, consider the sensitivity of your product to light, oxygen, and moisture. Determine if it requires a high-barrier film to protect it effectively. Next, consider the type of packaging equipment you will be using. Make sure the film is compatible with your equipment and can be processed efficiently.
Additionally, think about the desired level of barrier protection. Different films offer varying levels of protection, so choose one that suits your product's needs. Lastly, consider the storage and handling requirements of the film to maintain its quality and effectiveness. By considering these factors, you can select the right metallised PET film for your packaging needs.
To ensure the sustainability of metallised PET film, it is crucial to address its environmental impact and implement effective recycling practices. While metallised PET film can be recycled, the process is more complex due to the presence of the metal coating.
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Proper recycling infrastructure and procedures are required to separate the metal layer from the film for efficient recycling. Without proper recycling practices, metallised PET film can contribute to waste and pollution.
However, when recycled correctly, metallised PET film is considered a sustainable option compared to other film materials.
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Often times when we buy flexible packaging with metalized film and it works, we put that process on automatic.
The “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it" mentality creeps in and so years can go by without asking "is this the most cost effective and efficient flexible packing solution?”
We are here to disrupt that thinking. Oftentimes flexible packaging is over engineered, meaning there are structural changes you can reconsider in order to save on material costs and environment impacts, while maintaining the integrity of your product.
Metalized films have extremely thin coatings of metal (typically aluminium) deposited on a plastic film in the form of vapour. They should not be confused with actual metal layers as with “foil.” The base film for this example is made from Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), commonly known as Polyester in fibre or fabric applications.
Our most common flexible packaging solutions that use metalized films are pouches, sachets, stick packs, bar wrappers (excluding cold seal) or any vertical/horizontal form roll stock.
The industry standard for metalized film structures consists of the following:
The reason for metalized films is first and foremost the need for high barrier protection. This comes in the form of Oxygen Transition Rate (OTR), Moisture Vapour Transition Rate (MVTR), and Ultra Violet Light (UV). Some brands choose to use metalized to be incorporated with the design, playing with colour on top of the metalized PET gives a feel of high end product.
If your product does not require protection from UV light, then consider the following structure:
Our 50g PET film has a very thin and transparent layer of Aluminium Oxide (ALOx) vacuum deposited on one side and a acrylic slip coat. This replaces the OTR and MVTR barrier of the metalized film. No other wet coatings or primers are required. By doing this you reduce your overall film weight from 96g, down to 50g (4mil, down to 3.6mil). Most importantly, you remove the entire layer of metalized film.
What is Aluminum Oxide aka Alumina?
According to Wikipedia, Aluminum Oxide is derived from a rock called Bauxite which is a mineral strip mined in sedimentary rock. Aluminum is further made by reducing aluminum oxide to pure Aluminum through an electrolysis process.
In order to keep the same thickness of the original package, some companies choose to increase the sealant layer from 3.6 to 4mil. The good news is that this structure does not change the function on your production and filling line. Secondly it does not look or feel any different in the consumers hands; Unless you have been using the metalized layer to enhance your artwork. Instead companies will opt for working with a white sealant layer for their base layer.
Since the same process of mining is employed for extracting ore to create both Aluminum Oxide and Aluminum, the environmental savings comes from the absence of the electrolysis process. Our own operations, add further environmental savings in the form of less processing time, and only one lamination as opposed to two on our machines.
Down-gauging or light weighting your packaging in this manner aligns with future state regulations. In addition, PET films will be more attractive for recyclers once methods become available for processing multi-laminated flexible films.
To further your sustainable packaging options, consider using Post Consumer Recycle (PCR) content films, including metalized.
According to the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR):
"ALOx Barrier coatings are accepted as “Preferred” additive when applied directly to a Polyethylene (PE) film for recyclability. The effects of the acrylic layer on recycling are not known.
Metalized layers are extremely thin coatings of metal deposited on the film as a vapor. They should not be confused with actual metal layers addressed as “foil” in this document. Metalized layers are not removed in the recycling process and are melted and blended with the PE. This may cause material discoloring. In some cases, a metalized film will be detected early in the recycling process by metal detectors designed to protect machinery from catastrophic damage. Metal detectors may not be able to differentiate between a metalized film and a solid metal part, so the entire package may be discarded rather than accept the risk.
Vapor deposited metal layers are frequently applied to oriented polypropylene (OPP) or polyester (OPET) films for flexible packaging laminations that may end up in the PE recycling stream. Since PP and PET have higher melting points than PE, negative effects of these metallized laminates may occur in the extrusion and melt filtration processes. However, when deposited into recyclable substrates like PE, oriented or not, mono (OPE) or biax (BOPE), the layer of aluminum metal is at the nanometric level, which should not present any significant risk to recyclers on the melt filtration step."
Each packaging situation is unique, however, if you determine that you can remove the metalized PET and don’t change anything else, there is the potential to save 20 - 25%. On the other hand, if you opt for a thicker PET, paired with the ALOx PET, costs become comparable yet environmental savings are still present.
If you are unsure if you can remove the metalized film layer from your flexible packaging, contact your food science lab or contact our packaging specialists to analyze you structure. From there we can determine your requirements for high barrier and extended shelf life stability.
Are you interested in learning more about BOPP Packaging Film? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!