Nanoseal™ PET Barrier Coated Film (NS3-PET48)

Food Contact Acceptable, Gas Barrier, Good Printability

NanoSeal coatings are aqueous dispersions of vermiculite platelets in polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH). The platelets are 1-3 nanometers thick and 10-30 microns in breadth, yielding an average aspect ratio (breadth-to-thickness) of ~10,000:1. The platelets are maintained in singularized format when dispersed into the PVOH resin and aligned in the plane of the coating when deposited on a film substrate, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), biaxially oriented nylon (BON) or polylactic acid (PLA). The dispersed platelets create a tortuous path for gas molecules, enabling extraordinarily high gas barrier in a very thin layer (0.2 - 0.5 microns dry) with excellent bond strength, clarity and flexibility. The proprietary formulation also improves the moisture-resistance of the PVOH resin. The key technical difference between NanoSeal coatings and past attempts to use nanoclays for barrier enhancement is that in NanoSeal coatings the clay platelets remain in singularized format not only when dispersed in the resin, but also during and after deposition on the film substrates. This achievement presents the tortuous path required for high gas barrier, while enabling the cohesive strength necessary for multi-layered packaging film structures. NanoSeal coatings are applied to flexible films using standard printing and coating equipment (e.g. rotogravure and flexographic presses).