New Ethylene-Methyl Acrylate Copolymers for Multilayer Flexible Packaging Applications

Ethylene-Methyl Acrylate (E-MA) copolymers have been used for many years to improve the interlayer adhesion of tie layers in multilayered flexible packag ing. A key property of E-MAs in this application is their excellent adhesion to many different types of polymer substrates. The E-MA blends with low density polyethyl ene (LDPE) commonly used in industry today sometimes exhibit marginal bond strengths and can also cause processing difficulties. The first of a new series of E-MA resins has performed significantly better than the equivalent E-MA/LDPE blend in initial extrusion coating and laminating pilot tests. Nearly a 50% improvement in adhesion to OPP film was obtained and similar results were observed for other substrates. The new E-MA resin also demonstrated good extrusion coating processing making it an attractive option for the flexible packaging manufacturer.