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New slip additive keeps PET and other polymers for flexible packaging friction level from rising after adhesive lamination.

Ampacet 102794, a new slip additive for polyethylene-based packaging films, allows such films to be adhesive laminated to those made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or another polymer with little or no change in coefficient of friction (COF) after lamination. The slip resolves a common problem in the production of flexible packaging in which COF increases as the adhesive and often the PET film draw slip out of the polyethylene layers.

A masterbatch that makes it easier to use multilayer polyethylene film in packaging. The new product keeps coefficient of friction steady after lamination, so films handle well and move through packaging steps with less problems.

A series of 30-day tests have shown that the new slip holds COF steady before and after lamination, unlike standard erucamide slips. The measurements involved 2-mil, coextruded films having a metallocene LLDPE sealant layer. Each slip was placed throughout the structure along with an antiblock in the skin layers. The multilayer films were laminated to PET film using a solvent-based polyurethane adhesive.

COF in the samples containing Ampacet 102794 slip were 0.2 before and after lamination. The film with the standard slip saw COF rise from 0.12 before lamination to 0.72 to 0.85 afterward.

"We formulated Ampacet 102794 using a special additive that seems to have little interaction with the polyurethane adhesive commonly used in lamination," says Dr. Nilesh Savargaonkar, Physical Testing Lab Manager. "This means the new slip should work well with a variety of film structures, including coextruded LLDPE and ethylene vinyl acetate films. Our tests showed that COF with the new slip settled in at about 0.2 after just one day, indicating that it requires little or no conditioning time."

Brian McKinley, Strategic Business Manager for Films, says the new consistent slip should be welcomed by packagers who want to keep film movement through their form, fill and seal machines and other equipment predictable and problem free.

"Ampacet 102794 is cost effective," McKinley says," because it can be used at a letdown ratio of about 2 percent, which is lower than that usually needed with other slips. In addition, there is no need to overdose it to compensate for lubricant migration from the sealant layer after lamination.

"We designed Ampacet 102794 using our six sigma process from start to finish to ensure we created a well-targeted product. This began with a 'voice of the customer' survey in which consistent COF emerged as the most important concern among converters and packagers."

Slip additives are used to reduce a films resistance to sliding over itself to make it easier to use, or to help increase process line speed or to enhance a packagers machine operations.

There are two types of slip additives: "fast" blooming slip is used to make bags in line and a "slow" blooming slip is used to make roll stock.