Dante Ferrari Celplast Metallized Products Limited

1. BARRIER PACKAGING IN THE REAL WORLD Dante Ferrari Celplast Metallized Products Limited

2. Outline • Background • Introduction • Films • Laminate structures • Adhesive laminating conditions • Pre- and Post-Gelbo Flex Barrier Properties • Laminated MET PE • High Barrier MET PET • Top-Coated MET PET • Bond Strength of Adhesive Laminations • Summary • Conclusions

3. Introduction • PE and PET are two of the most commonly used base substrates in flexible packaging • Two most important characteristic of a flexible package • Barrier properties • Lamination bond strength • What happens to the package in the real world?

4. Introduction • This study was designed to evaluate the practical barrier of pouches • The intention was to simulate flexing and handling that would be expected through the conversion and distribution chain • Barrier data was collected at various stages in order to estimate and compare the potential degradation of initial barrier through practical usage • Gelbo-Flex testing was used to simulate handling

5. Introduction: Films • High barrierMETPE Sealant film • Previous studies1 have shown that in a 2-ply structure, barrier properties are similar to a 3-ply structure using a standard metallized PET film, using less material • 1 “Sustainable Packaging: Reducing Material and Carbon Footprint with Metallized Barrier Sealants”, Packaging Films, Sept. 2012.

6. Introduction: Films • Bi-axially oriented high barrierMETPET film

7. Introduction: Films • Bi-axially oriented inline top-coated METPET • Produced using proprietary in-vacuum EB top-coating process, which traps metal and improves barrier2 • 2“Improve Barrier Properties and Significantly Reduce Your Carbon Footprint with In-line Metallizing and Top-coating”, AIMCAL Fall Technical Conference, 2011.

8. Laminate Structures • 3 laminate structures were prepared: • SAMPLE 1 SAMPLE 2 • MET PE: 2 ply Laminated StructureMETPET: 3 ply Laminated structure • Layer Description Layer Layer Description Layer ThicknessThickness

9. Laminate Structures • SAMPLE 3 • Coated METPET: 3 ply Laminated structure • Layer Description Layer Thickness

10. Lamination Conditions • Solvent-less • Two part polyester/polyether urethane • Standard 4-roll metering • Adhesive at 113 °F (45 °C), nip at 113 °F (45 °C) • Applied weight 1.1 – 1.25 lb./ream (1.8 to 2.0 GSM) • Corona Treater for primary and secondary set to 0.2 WD • Water-Based • Two part acrylic urethane • Standard gravure application • Applied weight 1.5 to 1.7 lb./ream (2.5 to 2.8 GSM) • Corona Treater for primary and secondary set to 0.2 WD • Two zone dryer set to 170 and 180 °F (77 and 82 °C); nip at 180 °F (82 °C)

11. Lamination Conditions • Solvent-Based • Two part curing polyester urethane • Standard gravure application • Applied weight 1.6 to 1.7 lb./ream (2.6 to 2.8 GSM) • Corona Treater for primary and secondary set to 0.2 WD • Two zone dryer set to 170 and 180 °F (77 and 82 °C); nip at 180 °F (82 °C)

12. Bond Strengthof Laminate Structures

13. Bond Strength • All results below shown after 7 days, similar to 24 hour results • Solventless and solvent-based provided best bonds • Water-based gave high bonds, adhesive transfer to PE • Bond strength units of measurement are all g/in • Note: Blue highlight is the interface tested for bond strength.

14. Barrier Properties of Laminate Structure

15. Barrier & Bond Testing • The laminations were measured for • OTR: • Initial, after 20 and 270 flexes • ASTM D3985 • @ 23°C and 0% RH • WVTR: • Initial, after 20 and 270 flexes • ASTM F372 • @ 38°C and 90% RH • Bond strength • Initial, 24 hours and 7 days • Instron Bond testing -10 in/min separation • 90 degree peel

16. Gelbo-Flex Testing • Automated or Manual operation • Flat material mounted as a tube on each end • Flex is both rotational (270 degrees) and compressive

17. 2 Ply Clear PET/MET PEAdhesive Lamination

18. PET/ MET PE : Oxygen Barrier • Solvent-based and solvent-less adhesive based laminate structures provided better barrier than water-based adhesive • The change in OTR values for all 3 structures were minimal even after 20 and 270 flexes • The effect of Gelbo-flexing is less significant for solvent-based and water-based lamination 5% 0% 5.9% 6.3% 13.3% 6.7%

19. PET/ MET PE : Water Vapor Barrier • Initial barrier properties indicate that solvent-based and solvent-less adhesive systems produce a better laminated structure • After the first 20 flexes, the change in WVTR is higher for solvent-less laminate 3.7% 22.7% 18.8% 5.6% 50.0% 23.1%

20. 3 Ply Clear PET/MET PET/PEAdhesive Lamination

21. PET/ MET PET /PE : Oxygen Barrier • All laminated structures showed similar Pre-flex barrier properties • After 20 flexes, the barrier of water-based laminated structure deteriorated faster than solvent-based and solvent-less laminate structure 11% 766% 71% 366% 450% 9%

22. PET/ MET PET /PE : Water Vapor Barrier • Excellent WVTR values with solvent-based adhesive lamination. No significant change after 20 or 270 Gelbo-Flexes • Initial WVTR value for water-based was better than solvent-less. However, after flexing the performance of solvent-less and water-based laminate was similar 11.1% 31.6% 221% 26.7% 0% 50%

23. Solvent-based Laminations: Oxygen Barrier • After 20 flexes, the barrier of Met PE 2-ply laminated structure is close to High Barrier Met PET 3-ply structure, likely would be better than Standard Barrier Met PET 3-ply structure

24. Solventless Laminations: Oxygen Barrier • After 20 flexes, the barrier of Met PE 2-ply laminated structure is nearly same as High Barrier Met PET 3-ply structure, is even better at 270 flexes

25. Water-Based Laminations: Oxygen Barrier • After 20 flexes, the barrier of Met PE 2-ply laminated structure is better than High Barrier Met PET 3-ply structure • 2-ply barrier after 20 flexes would be significantly better than Standard Barrier Met PET 3-ply structure

26. 3 Ply Clear PET/Coated MET PET/PEAdhesive Lamination

27. PET/ Coated MET PET /PE : Oxygen Barrier • Coated Met PET retains OTR properties better than HB Met PET in equivalent 3-ply structure, both before and after Gelbo flexing

28. PET/ Coated MET PET /PE : Water Vapor Barrier • For solvent-based laminations, both met PET films perform very well • For solventless and water-based laminations, Coated Met PET retains WVTR properties much better than HB Met PET in equivalent 3-ply structure

29. Conclusions • Bond strengths were higher with solvent-based and solventless laminations for all three structures being studied, water-based bonds still acceptable for most applications • The effect of Gelbo-Flexing on barrier properties was more significant for MET PET compared to MET PE • For solventless and water-based adhesive systems, 2-ply lamination with Met PE holds oxygen barrier better than 3-ply lamination with High Barrier Met PET • 3-ply structures with Coated Met PET retain their oxygen barrier better (~ 2x) than the same structure using High Barrier Met PET, and retain their water vapour barrier much better (~ 3x)

30. Special Thanks • A special thank you to Larry Jopko and the entire team at the Dow Chemical Adhesive Research Centre in Buffalo Grove, IL for preparing the laminations using Dow adhesives and carrying out the Gelbo Flex testing, bond strength testing and barrier measurements.