Seal through contamination : A comparison of AFFINITY plastomers produced via INSITE technology with ethylene/acrylic acid copolymers, ionomers, and ULDPE

Polyolefin plastomers (POPS) have a unique combination of optical and physical properties which make them attractive for use in various aspects of packaging-one of which is as a sealant layer, where the POP's low seal initiation temperature enables the use of high packaging line speeds. Specimens were prepared by extrusion-laminating resins to a 12 μm (0.48 mil) thick polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film. Data are presented which compare the effect of contamination by polar and non-polar compounds on the sealing characteristics of three AFFINITY plastomers with several commercially available sealants: two ultra low density polyethylene (ULDPE) films, two ethylene/acrylic acid copolymer (EAA) films, and two ionomer films. The results show that for many applications, POP sealant layers should be the most favorable choice.