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Writer's pictureDH Plastic

What is EVOH plastic and suitable for which products packaging.




What is EVOH material?

Regarding the definition of EVOH- Wikipedia Version 

 

Say it like a human: EVOH full name is ethylene – vinyl alcohol copolymer, is a chain molecular structure crystalline polymer, is widely used in packaging materials, medical materials, textile materials, structural materials and polyethylene modified reagent materials, etc., has a very wide range of applications.

Origin of EVOH material

EVOH was first invented and manufactured by DuPont in the 1850s, and was first industrially applied by Kuraray in Japan in 1972, followed by the first industrial production line by JSR in Japan in 1984 and Changchun Chemical in Taiwan in 2007.

Why EVOH is suitable as a packaging material.

First of all, packaging materials are constantly being developed because of the current growing demand for packaging. As packaging needs diversify and the packaging environment becomes more complex, packaging materials have to have more characteristics to better fit. Let’s take a look at why EVOH is a good packaging material.

Characteristics and advantages of EVOH

As mentioned above, EVOH, an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, is flexible, highly transparent and glossy, and has excellent resistance to hydrocarbons, oils and organic solvents, which gives EVOH excellent barrier properties compared to other materials. However, considering the rapid loss of gas barrier properties when EVOH encounters moisture, most of the time EVOH is used in combination with other materials in a multilayer co-extrusion process to provide multiple properties to solve more complex and variable packaging solutions.
Currently, CHALVO can produce up to 11 layers of EVOH films. They are also suitable for various sterilization methods, such as pasteurization/high temperature steam sterilization/EO sterilization/UV sterilization.

Less packaging, more functionality

Using EVOH as packaging provides a high barrier while being only a few microns thick, making it the perfect solution for product display, storage, and transportation.

Resistant to organic solvents and oils

EVOH is also one of the best solutions for chemical products. Because EVOH is not affected by oils or organic solvents.

Weatherability

EVOH is also very resistant to the environment and remains stable under the influence of different light conditions.

Packaging market needs

Over time, the quest for greater food freshness has led to the need for more frequent use of high-barrier materials in the packaging materials market, and more customization of different products to control costs without waste. This is one of the reasons why EVOH is being used more and more in everyday life.

EVOH plastic suitable for which products packaging.

EVOH can certainly provide packaging solutions for most products, but in conjunction with cost considerations, the following is provided as a reference:
Food:  Fresh vegetables / fish and shrimp / fresh meat, Frozen beef / pork / fish and shrimp / ham / bacon / sausage, cheese / butter and other dairy products, cooked meat food (chicken / duck / goose / pig) packaging
Medical category: medical device packaging protection / surgical access protection / micro-burst infusion bags /Non-PVC platelet preservation bags / extraction bags / stoma bags / nutrition bags / wound care
Chemical: pesticide packaging / ammunition packaging / anti-rust packaging / pipe repair

How is EVOH implemented in packaging?

In layman’s terms, multilayer co-extrusion technology allows EVOH to be “sandwiched” between the inner and outer plastic walls as a core layer. And there is usually a thin layer of adhesive between the EVOH layer and the inner and outer walls.

The following are common CHALVO EVOH layer configurations :

PA/EVOH/PEPA/PP/PA/EVOH/PA/PEPA/PP/PA/EVOH/PA/PPPP/PA/EVOH/PA/PPPE/EVOH/PE

EVOH vs PP

What is the difference between EVOH and PP?

EVOH has good oxygen/water vapor barrier and is usually used as the core layer, while PP has good mechanical properties and ink adhesion and is usually used as the outer layer.
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