OPP/OPP and OPP based laminates
OPP film: Polypropylene film, double-axis orientation, its purpose is to be used as a printable and packaging material, which should also be possible to be laminated.
These laminates are capable of being thermally formed, they are glossy and they have beneficial mechanical properties. They are also characterized by a low level of steam and odour permeability.
In the transparent variant, the level of transparency is quite high.
The material is also available in pearl and metalized finishes.
Due to its low weight, it is very effective.
Features
The current market status and high rate of production and wide scope of application of the oriented polypropylene films all stem from numerous technical, economical and environmental factors.
Technical factors:
Option of manufacturing numerous types of films, depending on the requirements of:
- the packaging machinery,
- the packed products.
Resistant to:
- water,
- chemicals,
- oils and fats.
Useful in the process of packing of food, within the limits of types, contents and migration of the auxiliary substances.
Benefits stemming from using the OPP film for laminating, particularly in case of the metallized films.
Financial and environmental aspects
Lower price of the OPP film in comparison with the cellophane, stemming from:
- technological film manufacturing process
- lower own weight.
0,90 g/m³ – transparent films
0,75 g/m³ – pearl films
1,35 g/m³ – cellophane
Option of creating very thin films – with thickness of 10 µm, due to the fact that their
strength is increased when they are oriented.
Meeting the basic pro-environmental condition – reduction of the quantity of the material used to create the packaging.
OPP Based Laminates
The OPP film-based laminates are perfectly suitable for creating an inter-layer printout with aesthetic (the printed layer is visible through the film, and it has a high-gloss finish), functional (the printed layer is not worn-out) and hygienic (the printed layer will not penetrate the product) properties.
The lamination process makes it possible to create OPP film laminates in the following combinations:
- OPP print, OPP, OPP print/met OPP, OPP print/PE, OPP print/met OPP cold seal,
- OPP print/Al/PE, OPP print/Al/PP.
Benefits
It shall be emphasized, how important the OPE metallized film laminates were for the packing technology once, they appeared on the market – they are the most widely used materials within the field. Metallization decreases the oxygen permeability value of the OPP film by two stops, and steam transmission is reduced by one stop. This effect is achieved with a thickness of the typical metallized layer that does not exceed 0.03 µm.
Application
Not only are the metallized film laminates used to pack a wide variety of confectionery products and snacks, such as peanuts or chips, they may also be used in case of advanced applications, such as ice cream packaging and long-term vacuum packaging of the ground coffee.
The aluminium savings here constitute a relevant benefit, also environmentally.
