USE OF ANTIMICROBIAL ETHYLENE COPOLYMERS FOR PACKAGING APPLICATIONS

Use of an ethylene copolymer having a melt flow index (MFI) of at most ≤ 45 g/10min as measured according to ISO1133:201 1 measured at 190 °C and 2.16 kg and / or having an average molecular weight Mw≥ 50 kg/mol for production of packaging applications, production of food packages or production of film applications, wherein the ethylene copolymer is obtained via a process for the production of ethylene copolymers in a free-radical high-pressure polymerization in a tubular reactor, wherein * the process comprises a feed composition comprising ethylene and one or more co-monomers as reactants wherein at least one of the co-monomers is a compound having the structure of Formula (I): Formula (I), wherein R1 = H or CH3; X = O or NH; n = 1 -10 R2, R3 = H or CH3 or saturated aliphatic structure consisting of hydrogen atoms and 1-10 carbon atoms, wherein the aliphatic structure can be linear, branched and/or cyclic; and wherein R2 and R3 can be individually selected; and wherein * the tubular reactor is operated at a pressure of ≥ 200 and ≤ 280 MPa; * the average reaction peak temperature is ≥ 220°C and ≤ 300°C; * the composition comprising one or more of co-monomers is fed to the reactor in one or more feed inlets of said tubular reactor; and each co-monomer according to Formula (I) is fed to the tubular reactor in quantities of ≤ 2.0 mol % with regard to the total feed composition of ethylene and the one or more co-monomers.