AMI: Multilayer Flexible Packaging 2019

Recyclability of Multilayer Packaging Film

Ali Goger, Richard Siewsankar and Patrick Greenidge

Who is Ingenia?

• Founded in 1986 as WedTech and renamed Ingenia Polymers Corp. in 1998

• Four main manufacturing sites located in: Brantford (Canada), Calgary

(Canada), Houston (USA) and Al-Jubail (KSA)

• Specialized in Additive Masterbatch, SuperlinkTM, Black and White

Masterbatches, RototuffTM, SuperblendTM and Product Development

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Opportunities in Multilayer Films

• PE layers provide moisture barrier, sealant and surface tension properties.

• PA or EVOH layer provides oxygen barrier, mechanical reinforcement and high

temperature stability.

• The market size of post-consumer flexible packaging is 12 Billion lbs*.

• Only 209 Million lbs. of post-consumer films are recycled (i.e. 1.7%).
PE
Adhesive Layer
PA
Adhesive Layer
PE

* Material Recovery for the Futurew, MRFF, 2017 2

Challenges in Multilayer Films

Thermodynamic factor such as

interfacial tension between PE-PA
PE-PA System
Kinetic factor such as viscosity ratio
between PE-PA

Chemical factor - no chemical bonds

between PE-PA

Processing - Design factor like

temperature and shear

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Advantages of Compatibilized Recycle Films

Advantages of Compatibilized System Disadvantages of Non-Compatibilized System

• Enhanced mechanical properties because of improved • Low tensile and impact properties of film for end-
interfacial adhesion. user’s application.

• Elimination of discrete resin coalescence after material • Non-uniform thickness due to viscosity difference.
passes through the die.
• Ugly appearance due to gel formation.
• Uniform flow properties because of improved
molecular structure. • Limitation on repro usage.

• Allow higher usage of repro in the end-user product.

• Allows shorter purging time

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Objectives

• Introducing new Ingenia INable IP1600 compatibilizer for PE-PA and/or

EVOH system.

• Introducing different measurement technique to evaluate the compatibilization

of PE -PA and/or EVOH.

• Introducing applications for Ingenia INable IP1600 product.

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Material and Experiments

• EVOH, PA6 and PA666 are evaluated at different concentration.

• Monolayer blown film extrusion line is used. (Diameter:42mm L/D:26 ).

• All the films are at 2mil thickness and BUR~ 2.

• Compatibilization of the system are examined with rheology, differential

scanning calorimeter (DSC) , tensile and impact properties test.

• ASTM D3418 for DSC, ASTM D1709 for impact test and ASTM D638 for
tensile test are applied for measurements.

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Rheology

• Viscosity increases when two polymer matrices are compatibilized.

• The initial changes can be observed quite clearly however further

compatibilization changes cannot be detected.
PA6
10000 5% PA6-95%PE without Ingenia INable IP1600
5%PA6-5% Ingenia INable IP1600-90%PE 4
LDPE resin
C1 C2 C3 C4 C5

MFI at 230C
Viscosity [Pa.s]

[g/10min]
1000
2

100 0
1 10 100 0 2 4 6 8 10
Frequency [rad/s] Content (wt.%]
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Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC)

• When polymer is crystallized in small domains, crystallization occurs at

temperature much lower than its characteristic crystallization temperature.

• DSC Tc is an accurate method for evaluating compatiblization of PE-PA

systems, with the drawback that the specimen size is vey small.
No Compatibilizer

2% Ingenia 1st generation

5% Ingenia 1st generation

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 Mechanical Properties
FOR EVOH
400 500
LDPE Film containing 5%EVOH/5% Compatibilizer
Impact Strength [grams]

LDPE Film containing 5%EVOH/5% Compatibilizer

Elongation at Break [%]

300 400

200 300
293 282 296 406
267 251
100 200 305
146 248
221
145 171
0 100
Blank No Comp Ingenia Competitor Competitor Ingenia Blank No Comp Ingenia Competitor Competitor Ingenia
LDPE 1st 1 2 INable LDPE 1st 1 2 INable
Generation IP1600 Generation IP1600

• Ingenia initial grade provides similar performance with competitors products for PE-EVOH System however
INGENIA INable IP1600 grade provides better performance.

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 Mechanical Properties
FOR PA6
350 500
LDPE Film containing 5%PA6/5% Compatibilizer LDPE Film containing 5%PA6/5% Compatibilizer
Impact Strength [grams]

Elongation at Break [%]

300
400
250

200 300
293.0 421
150 262.6 381
207.9 214.6 321
200 287
100 162.8
221
66.7 115
50 100
Blank No Comp Ingenia 1st Competitor Competitor Ingenia
Blank No Comp Ingenia 1st Competitor Competitor Ingenia
LDPE Generation 1 2 INable
LDPE Generation 1 2 INable
IP1600
IP1600

• Ingenia initial grade provides similar performance with competitors products for PE-PA6 System however
INGENIA INable IP1600 grade has improved performance.

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 Mechanical Properties
FOR PA6
1200 350
m-LLDPE base resin LDPE base resin 5% Ingenia INable
1000 300 IP1600

Impact Strength [g]

Impact Strength [g]

250 10% Ingenia INable

800 IP1600
200
600
150
269 259 253 265
400 760 825 100

200 50 86
41
0
0 5 10 20
Blank m-LLDPE 5% PA6 5% Ingenia INable
IP1600
PA6 Content [%]

• INGENIA INable IP1600 grade shows excellent impact strength retention at 5% LDR and up to 10% PA6
content. At 20% PA6 content the impact properties are diminished due to the inherent brittleness of PA6.

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 Mechanical Properties
FOR PA666
350 500
Impact Strength [grams]

Elongation at Break [%]

LDPE Film containing 5%PA666 LDPE Film containing 5%PA666
300
400
250
300
200
293 200
355
150
225 221
100 164
100 137 No Film No Film
No Film No Film No Film No Film
0
50 Blank No Comp Ingenia 1st Competitor Competitor Ingenia
Blank No Comp Ingenia Competitor Competitor Ingenia LDPE Generation 1 2 INable
LDPE 1st 1 2 INable IP1600
Generation IP1600

• None of the competitive products compatibilized the system to allow for film production (holes in bubble).
Ingenia initial grade provides good performance for PE-PA666 system, however INGENIA INable IP1600
grade provides superior results.
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INGENIA INable Compatibilizer
NO COMPATIBILIZER With Ingenia INable IP1600

Mean diameter: <5um

Mean diameter: <200um

With Ingenia 1st Generation • PE-Nylon system without compatibilizer exhibits large
chunks of nylon inside PE matrix. This ruins physical
properties.
• Competitors and Ingenia initial grade products show
bi-continuous lamella like morphology.
• INGENIA INable IP1600 grade provides well dispersed
and distributed nylon particles along the PE matrix,
providing superior film properties.
Mean diameter: <12um
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What are the applications for Ingenia INable IP1600 generation product?

• Internal film plant recycling. Film from edge trim, start-up and process
interruptions can be recycled which contains EVOH, PA6 and PA666.

• Ready to Recycle films. Add Ingenia INable IP1600 generation product in

its own layer so that it can be used as a compatibilizer for the film when the
packaging item is captured at store drop off locations and enters the PE film
recycling stream.

• Upcycling! For recycling companies to improve the properties of multi

material product and hence the value of their repro pellets.

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 THANK YOU!
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