Plastics for Barrier Packaging

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Plastics for Barrier Packaging

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REPORT SCOPE

INTRODUCTION This report is an update of a BCC Research report on this subject by the same author, published in February 2008 and completed some months before that date. In this new update, we have reevaluated the entire subject, introduced some new barrier packaging concepts and products that have appeared in the intervening period, and have updated and refined our market analyses, estimates, and forecasts for five additional years into the future, to 2016.

Despite the fact that much of the basic technology of barrier plastics is the same, we found that progress had continued to be made in the few years since the last BCC Research report on this subject. One subject that continues to get attention is plastic packaging for beer, with new technologies unveiled and promoted. Beer is a very difficult product to package because of its high sensitivity to rapid taste degradation from exposure to oxygen, At this time, at least in the United States, barrier polyethylene terephthalate (PET) beer bottles have not shown that they can provide the extended shelf life that glass and aluminum can, except for short shelf-life beer for sports events and the like. But work continues by barrier packaging firms and beer bottlers that want plastic beer bottles.

Other developments prominently featured in the last report, such as increasingly more sophisticated multilayer (ML) barrier packaging structures and controlled/modified atmosphere packaging for fresh produce and other fresh foods, continue to grow in importance and usage in these fields is updated here.

STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Packaging, and plastics used in packaging, are seen virtually everywhere in modern developed society. Most of the goods bought by the public in developed societies are packaged, as are an increasing number in developing countries as well. (One side effect from all this packaging has been a constant barrage of complaints from activists that products are "overpackaged" and this excess packaging contributes to our big waste load.) Many companies have reacted and continue to react to these complaints by reducing or changing their packaging to make the final package less complex and/or using less packaging material.

Packaging has been around for centuries, and probably was developed for a number of reasons. These include preservation and stability of products over time and the protection of products from damage, dirt, moisture, etc. Early packaging was quite crude (e.g., the casks and cases of salted meat carried on old sailing ships, which often went to sea for extended lengths of time).

All packaging provides some sort of barrier; this is a primary reason for packaging products in the first place. Packaging protects products from infiltration (or, in some cases, exfiltration, the latter the passing of a material or materials out of the container) of contaminants, of flavor, color, odor, etc., as well as preserving the contents. Glass and metal containers have been used for packaging goods for many years and certainly qualify as barrier packages. As we discuss later, thick glass and metal qualify as "functional" barriers that stop just about everything from passing through them.

Plastics, that is polymers ordinarily made from chemical and petrochemical raw materials, are everywhere around us, in a multitude of goods ranging from small children's toys to automobile bodies and house siding. Packaging examples are also legion, most visible in food and beverage products but also well known for consumer items such as the ubiquitous "clamshell" clear rigid thermoformed packaging for hardware and "jewel box" cassette cases (and CDs and DVDs themselves). Packaging is the single largest end user of plastic resins in the United States. For many years, packaging has consumed more than one-quarter of all the resins used in any year in the United States.

In this study we look at a very important segment of the packaging industry, that of plastic barrier packaging and the plastic resins that supply these barriers (i.e., polymers that are used in packaging to provide a barrier to some unwanted intrusion in or out of the package). Barrier resins block the passage of several important substances, including oxygen, moisture, odors, flavors, and others.

Different experts and observers use different terms to describe the use and function of plastics in barrier packaging, and most of these terms are somewhat arbitrary. They can also be confusing. First and foremost, this study is devoted entirely to synthetic barrier plastics; that is, those primarily derived from petrochemical feedstocks. We briefly describe cellophane, the one natural barrier film still in some use, but do not include it in our market estimates and forecasts since it is not synthetic and for years it has been considered an obsolete product with a declining market.

Among synthetic resins, many analysts attempt to differentiate between barrier resins and structural resins used in packaging. By defining some limits of gas permeability that constitute barrier properties, resins are placed in one or the other category. BCC Research does not rigidly classify barrier packaging resins in this way, for not only is "barrier" an arbitrary term, but different resins can perform both barrier and structural functions in some plastic packaging structures. All resins discussed and analyzed in this report are considered to be barrier resins, even if their use may predominantly be structural in many or most of their packaging structures.

We do consider polyolefins (polyethylenes and polypropylene), polystyrene (PS), and other such strong support resins to primarily be structural; we call them secondary barrier resins. This is to differentiate them from the primary barrier resins such as ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) and polyvinylidene chloride (PVdC). The latter are included in barrier structures strictly for their gas barrier properties.

As good example of combination structure and barrier is the common polyethylene terephthalate carbonated soft drink (CSD) or water bottle. In this application, the primary structural resin, PET, has sufficient barrier against the primary pass-through material (in this case the exfiltration of carbon dioxide "fizz" from the contained soda) to be a used in a simple monolayer plastic structure for many CSDs. However, it is really a relatively poor barrier resin and all CSDs lose "fizz" over time, with this degradation accelerated by exposure to heat; most of us have experienced opening a rather old plastic soda bottle and finding the contents flat. Many major soft drink bottlers now often put "use by" dates, or other means of identifying the package's age, on CSD bottles

To package a more demanding product such as beer, which can rapidly degrade from oxygen infiltration, a better barrier structure is needed and the plastic packaging industry has been working for several years on this challenge; this was one the most interesting developments around the turn of the century, discussed in our previous updates and still of interest. Plastic, primarily PET-based, beer bottles have been a desired product for years, but at this time the "ideal" plastic beer bottle that can truly preserve beer for the desired period of time is not yet a widespread commercial reality, especially in the U.S.

In many other cases, a multilayer structure (MLS), either laminated or coextruded, is needed to provide both strength and barrier. Some of these ML structures, even for seemingly simple products like snack foods, are wonders to behold and now often have seven or more different plastic layers, each layer providing a different structural, barrier, or adhesive function.

The growth of plastic barrier packaging, in the sophisticated sense used in this report, has been significant since the discovery and development of the first synthetic specialty barrier resin, polyvinylidene chloride, Dow Chemical's old Saran brand) in the 1950s and 1960s. (Dow sold the household Saran Wrap to S.C. Johnson but retains the trademark in the U.S. for the basic resin products.) The commercialization of ethylene vinyl alcohol came a bit later, in the 1970s. As we said, these two resins are the backbone of high-barrier plastic packaging.

It was the development of coextrusion technology that enabled the efficient manufacture of ML plastic structures in a wide range of thicknesses, in a single pass through one machine. Coextrusion is just that, a process that extrudes more than one type of resin simultaneously through an extrusion die to form an MLS with discrete and independent layers bonded to each other. The development of coextrusion really caused barrier packaging growth to take off in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Before then, ML structures were made by laminating two plastic layers together with heat or adhesives, a slower and intrinsically less efficient process. Lamination still is an important MLS method, especially for resin combinations that are difficult to coextrude.

Adding to the interest in this subject, the barrier packaging industry changes constantly. An ideal polymeric barrier does not exist, and probably never will, since each application has different requirements. In some cases, for example in the packaging of meat, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a film that is not a good oxygen barrier, has been commonly used to package beef in supermarket meat displays for years, since it keeps beef color red and inviting for the short time it is on display. However, for long-term transport or storage of meat, a good oxygen barrier is needed to prevent spoilage. Newer packaging was required for "boxed beef," packages of commercial beef cuts (sirloins, round steak, etc.) that are produced at the processing plant and then shipped in refrigerated boxes for direct sale at the supermarket. A common system in use today uses two film layers, a good barrier for shipment that is removed at the supermarket to expose a PVC film that allows oxygen to infiltrate and keep the beef red.

Current barrier packaging plastics are good, but problems remain that restrict their use or hinder their growth in many applications. These include:

High cost, almost always higher than the cost of a simple monolayer plastic package of, for example, polyethylene or polypropylene (PP).Susceptibility to contamination or degradation, especially by moisture: EVOH is the best example of this problem, since its hydroxyl groups give it good barrier qualities but also make it susceptible to hydrolysis. As a result, EVOH only can be used as an inner layer in an MLS, since its barrier properties degrade to virtual worthlessness when EVOH is subjected to high humidity.Disposal or recycling problems: Because most MLS contain more than one type of plastic, they cannot easily be commingled and recycled with, for example, straight high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or PET. Many ML containers must be classified and labeled with the SPI recycling number "7" for "other."Challenges from competing materials and processes, some of them old and proven like glass and metallization, and newer ones such as silicon and other oxide coatings that can provide a superior barrier.

Our goal is to describe the most common and popular barrier polymers and their applications, their technology, competing barrier materials, and future trends. We estimate and forecast markets for barrier polymers of several kinds and in several different important markets such as food and healthcare packaging. The polymers and applications that we cover are described and briefly discussed below in the "Scope and Format" section below.

REASONS FOR DOING THE STUDY As noted above, packaging constitutes the single, largest end use of plastics in the United States. And more and more packaging is barrier packaging, which is taking on increased importance each year as both producers and customers seek longer shelf life and better product integrity, flavor, potency, etc.

BCC Research has maintained and updated this study to provide a comprehensive reference for those interested and/or involved in these products and who want an up-to-date review of the field and estimated markets. This cohort of people and organizations includes a wide and varied group of chemical and other companies that make and use barrier polymers, process technology and equipment designers and marketers, politicians of all stripes, and the general public. We have collected, condensed, and analyzed information from a large amount of literature and other reference materials to compile this report.

Many developments over the past generation or so in barrier packaging were done to develop even more sophisticated multilayer barrier packaging structures, needed to solve the most difficult barrier packaging problems economically. These developments are a primary and continuing focus of this study. As this technology was developed, four basic barrier materials were found and used widely: PVDC, nylon, EVOH, and metallized films. Consumer demand for foods with longer shelf life, high-quality, and excellent flavor and freshness retention has led to even more sophisticated MLS that often are thinner than their less-efficient predecessors, but also usually more sophisticated and complicated, usually with more (but usually thinner) layers. This has occurred because of the better choice of barriers and structural layers in the ML structure. It often results in a thinner coextruded or molded film or rigid structure with more layers that can do a better job than a simpler and thicker one.

INTENDED AUDIENCE This report is intended to inform and assist those involved in several different U.S. industrial and commercial business sectors, primarily individuals with a primary interest in packaging. These organizations and people include those involved in development, formulation, manufacture, sale, and use of barrier polymer and polymer processes; also those in ancillary businesses such as processing equipment as well as additives and other support chemicals and equipment. These include process and product development experts, process and product designers, purchasing agents, construction and operating personnel, marketing staff, and top management. BCC Research feels that this report will be of great value to technical and business personnel in the following areas, among others:

Marketing and management personnel in companies that produce, market, and sell barrier polymersCompanies involved in the design and construction of process plants that manufacture barrier polymers, and those who service these plantsFinancial institutions that supply money for such facilities, including banks, merchant bankers, venture capitalists, and othersPersonnel in end-user packaging companies and industries, such as food, healthcare, and consumer and household productsPersonnel in government at many levels, primarily federal, (such as the FDA), but also state and local health, environmental, and other regulators who must implement and enforce laws covering public health and safety, food quality, etc.

SCOPE AND FORMAT

This BCC Research study provides in-depth coverage of many of the most important technological, economic, political, and environmental considerations in the U.S. barrier packaging polymer industry. It primarily is a study of U.S. markets. But because of the increasingly global nature of polymer and packaging chemistry it touches on some noteworthy international activities, primarily those having an impact on the U.S. market, such as imports/exports and foreign firms operating in this country.

We analyze and forecast market estimates for barrier packaging plastic resins in volume in pounds. Our base market estimate year is 2011, and we forecast market growth for a five-year period to 2016. All market figures are rounded to the nearest million pounds and all growth rates are compounded (signified as compound annual growth rates, or CAGRs). Because of this rounding, some growth rates may not agree exactly with figures in the market tables; this is especially so with small volumes and their differences. All market volumes are at the manufacturer or producer level.

This report is segmented into nine chapters, of which this introduction is the first.

The Summary encapsulates our findings and conclusions, and includes a summary table that summarizes the major barrier packaging resins. It is the place where busy executives can find key elements of the study in summary format.

An Overview follows, starting with an introduction to the petrochemical industry, the source of all these barrier packaging polymers. Then we discuss the plastic resin industries and focus on barrier packaging. We conclude with a discussion of barrier packaging materials and structures, with emphasis on plastic barrier resins. Our intent is to introduce readers to the field of polymers, barrier packaging, and barrier packaging resins.

The next chapter is the first of two devoted to market analysis. Here, we discuss, estimate, and forecast markets for barrier packaging plastics by major resin type or class. This discussion includes some major commodity resins, such as polyolefins, that find use as structural packaging resins; however, since these are not primarily barrier resins (and thus outside our scope) we do not attempt to estimate their wide and diffuse markets. We start this chapter with an overall market estimate and forecast for the major types of barrier packaging resins, for base year 2011 and forecast year 2016. Then, in each section and subsection, we describe individual barrier resin types in more detail, discuss their important applications in barrier packaging, and estimate and forecast their markets in greater detail. The types of barrier resins that we cover and forecast include EVOH, polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) fluoropolymer, nitrile (AN-MA) copolymers, nylons, thermoplastic (TP) polyesters, PVdC, tie-layer resins, and vapor-permeable films.

Our discussion and market analysis of vapor-permeable barrier resins and systems is included as an interesting sidelight to barrier resin chemistry, since the very term "vapor-permeable barrier" sounds like an oxymoron. These structures are designed for selective permeation, meaning the some gases should pass through the structure but others should not.

In this "markets by resin type" chapter we also discuss some newer and more experimental or developmental barrier materials and systems, but do not try market analyses since these products still are experimental or their markets too low and/or diffuse.

The next chapter discusses and forecasts markets by barrier resin applications. We have placed applications into three specific major groups: food (by far the largest segment), chemical and industrial products, and healthcare products packaging.

The next chapter is devoted to technology, starting with some basic plastic resin chemistry, manufacture, and properties of plastics used in barrier packaging. Next, we go to polymerization technologies. We then cover other important aspects of polymer technology including fabrication of rigid and flexible structures, polymer orientation, barrier technology, some competing barrier materials, food processing and packaging and additional new developments in barrier packaging. One of the most important more recent developments has been work on ways to increase the barrier properties of PET, primarily the attempt to develop a really good PET-based barrier plastic beer bottle.

The next chapter covers the barrier packaging resin industry structure, with emphasis on major domestic producers and suppliers, horizontal and vertical integration, market and product entry and differentiation factors, and other topics. Compounders, converters, and molders are important links in the plastics production chain. We briefly discuss and analyze some international aspects of the barrier resin business, including its global nature, major foreign-owned supplier companies that operate in the United States, and imports and exports.

The next chapter is devoted to some environmental, regulatory, and public policy issues that affect barrier plastic packaging. These include waste disposal and recycling, federal laws and regulations, and the all-important public perceptions of plastics and plastic packaging.

Our last narrative chapter consists of profiles of many supplier companies that BCC Research considers to be among the most important and/or best representatives of this business.

The Appendix is a glossary of some important terms, abbreviations, acronyms, etc. used in the chemical, polymer, and packaging industries.

We note again that some topics and materials covered in the text of this report are not included in our market estimate and forecast tables. We include these topics and materials for completeness. However, they either are really outside the market scope of this study (such as natural film, cellophane, and some oxygen scavengers), too new to have yet developed a measurable commercial market (such as some nonpolymeric barrier coatings and films), or whose markets are too large and diffuse to forecast the barrier segment with any certainty (such as the use of polyolefins in barrier packaging as structural and secondary barriers). We include these materials and concepts to give the reader as complete coverage as possible, not only of new developments in barrier packaging plastics, but also other materials than can extend shelf life and/or otherwise affect markets for barrier resins.

For consistency in style and format, registered trade names are usually indicated by capitalizing the initial letter of the name; generic names are lowercase. Because many chemical names are long and complicated, we often use abbreviations, acronyms, or chemical formulae. Many of these, such as HDPE, PVC, PVdC, PCTFE, etc., represent common polymers.

All chemical elements and compounds can be designated by chemical symbols and formulae. After introducing the element or compound, we often use symbols such as HCl for hydrochloric acid or hydrogen chloride. Our glossary at the end of this report contains definitions and explanations of many of the most important abbreviations and acronyms.

OXYGEN AND WATER VAPOR BARRIER RESINS

Our scope is restricted to those synthetic barrier resins that are used to prevent infiltration or exfiltration of gases. These primarily are oxygen and water vapor (moisture) barriers, but also in some applications are carbon dioxide (CO2) barriers, as in carbonated beverage packaging. Some in the trade consider oxygen permeability to be the only really important barrier parameter. This is based on the importance of an oxygen barrier to retard food spoilage. However, BCC Research also considers water vapor transmission to be another important barrier parameter. This is because of its importance in some critical applications such as packaged pharmaceuticals and dry food products. For example, bread-type products must be protected from moisture, lest they turn moldy. And, as noted, a CO2 barrier is important for preserving carbonation.

Other barriers are noted and discussed in several places; for example, barriers to other gases, including hydrocarbon vapors (because of the increasing importance of barrier in automotive gasoline tanks to cut down on hydrocarbon vapor exfiltration); and to light, odor, flavor, etc. However, because these latter applications are so spotty and difficult to quantify (and also because these effects often are masked by, or included in other barrier effects), we do not attempt to separately quantify their markets. The only exception is barrier gasoline tanks. Plastic packaging barrier structures examined and discussed include both rigid and flexible, monolayer, and multilayer.

We also include and estimate markets for two types of so-called vapor-permeable or selective barrier films that allow relatively high transfer of gases through them. These are so-called "breathable" films such as PVC for meat packaging and DuPont's Tyvek brand of spun-bonded polyolefin, and controlled or modified-atmosphere packaging (CAP/MAP) permeable films for food packaging.

Since the scope of this study is determined by our definition of what constitutes a barrier resin, we define some terms here in the introduction. Based on its oxygen or moisture permeability or gas transmission rate, BCC Research considers a barrier resin to be one that has the following permeability characteristics:

Oxygen: A resin with permeability to oxygen (measured as oxygen transmission rate or OTR) of less than 2 grams or ml/mil thickness/100 sq. inches in a 24 hour day at one atmosphere pressure; this is often shown as gm or ml/mil/100 sq. in./day. Most OTRs are measured at 73ºF and relative humidity (RH) specified for the particular conditions. Many older resins can achieve an OTR of 5, but most modern barrier resins have values of 1.0 or lower. For example, standard metallized PET films have an OTR of about 0.3 or lower. We consider any material with an OTR below 0.1 to be a high-barrier material; these include PVdC and EVOH. Others are called moderate barriers.Water (moisture) vapor: A resin with a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) lower than 0.10. We define and classify moisture barrier polymer structures as do experts in the pharmaceutical blister packaging industry. That is, very low barrier films have a WVTR greater than 0.10, low-barrier WVTRs are 0.06 to 0.1, intermediate barrier 0.03 to 0.06, and high-barrier films have WVTR values of 0.03 or lower. WVTRs of 1.0 have been available for years with many resin films. The best and current moisture-barrier film, PCTFE, has WVTR values lower than 0.03 for most structures and it is the only true high-moisture-barrier film resin. WVTR is usually determined under conditions of 100ºF and 90% RH (quite stringent conditions but not all that unusual in many parts of the U.S., including many bathrooms where medicines are often kept).One major caveat should be stated here. Gas permeability and other barrier properties can shift as a result of a number of variables. These include ambient conditions (particularly temperature and humidity), exact grade of barrier plastic, particular packaging structure (including other materials, tie layers, adhesives, etc.), processing conditions, and operations performed by the processor or end user such as retort or hot-fill packaging. Thus, gas permeability figures really are a range of values, which can vary by an order of magnitude or more for the same resin. The reader should keep these variations in mind when studying tables of gas permeabilities later in this report.

METHODOLOGY AND INFORMATION SOURCES

Extensive searches were made of the literature and the Internet, including many of the leading trade publications as well as technical compendia and government publications. Much product and market information was obtained whenever possible from principals involved in the industry. Information for our corporate profiles was obtained primarily from the companies, especially larger, publicly owned firms. Other sources included directories, articles, and Internet sites.

Table of Contents CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1

STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 1

STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES (CONTINUED) 2

STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES (CONTINUED) 3

STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES (CONTINUED) 4

REASONS FOR DOING THE STUDY 5

INTENDED AUDIENCE 6

SCOPE AND FORMAT 6

SCOPE AND FORMAT (CONTINUED) 7

SCOPE AND FORMAT (CONTINUED) 8

OXYGEN AND WATER VAPOR BARRIER RESINS 9

OXYGEN AND WATER VAPOR … (CONTINUED) 10

METHODOLOGY AND INFORMATION SOURCES 11

RELATED BCC REPORTS 11

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 11

BCC ON-LINE SERVICES 12

DISCLAIMER 12

DISCLAIMER (CONTINUED) 12

CHAPTER TWO: SUMMARY 13

SUMMARY 13

SUMMARY (CONTINUED) 14

SUMMARY TABLE US PACKAGING BARRIER RESIN MARKET

VOLUME ESTIMATE BY TYPE, THROUGH 2016 (MILLION LBS) 15

SUMMARY FIGURE US PACKAGING BARRIER RESIN MARKET

VOLUME ESTIMATE BY TYPE, 2011 AND 2016 (MILLION LBS) 15

CHAPTER THREE: OVERVIEW 16

THE US CHEMICAL AND PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRIES 16

CRUDE OIL AND NATURAL GAS 16

SOME INDUSTRY HISTORY 17

CRUDE OIL AND NATURAL GAS PRICES 18

Crude Oil and … (Continued) 19

US CHEMICAL INDUSTRY PRODUCTION 20

TABLE 1 VALUE OF US CHEMICAL INDUSTRY SHIPMENTS,

THROUGH 2010 ($ BILLIONS) 20

US Chemical Industry Production (Continued) 21

THE US PLASTIC RESIN INDUSTRY 22

US PLASTIC RESIN INDUSTRY SIZE AND PRODUCTION 22

TABLE 2 US PRODUCTION OF MAJOR THERMOPLASTIC RESINS:

2006-2010 (MILLION LBS) 23

BULK RESIN MANUFACTURE 23

PLASTIC RESIN FABRICATION 24

RIGID CONTAINERS 25

Blow Molding 26

Thermoforming 27

FLEXIBLE PACKAGING 27

RESIN MODIFICATION: CONVERTING AND

COMPOUNDING 28

Converting 29

Compounding 29

BARRIER COATINGS: SOLUTION/EMULSION 29

END USERS 30

PLASTIC RESIN PRICES 31

TABLE 3 PRICES OF BULK COMMODITY THERMOPLASTIC RESINS,

1992–2011 (CENTS/LB) 32

BARRIER PACKAGING 33

HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF BARRIER PACKAGING AND

BARRIER PLASTICS 33

History and Evolution …(Continued) 34

BARRIER PLASTICS AND TECHNOLOGY 35

Barrier Plastics and … (Continued) 36

FOOD SPOILAGE 37

THE NEED FOR BARRIER PACKAGING 37

Socioeconomic Factors in the Growth of Barrier Plastics 38

Growth of Prepared, Convenient, Fast Foods 38

Shelf Life 39

Recycling 40

TERMS USED IN BARRIER PACKAGING 40

GAS PERMEABILITIES AND TRANSMISSION RATES 41

Permeability 41

Gas Transmission Rate 42

High vs Moderate Barriers 42

Oxygen Barrier 43

Water Vapor Barrier 44

MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES 45

PLASTICS 45

Plastics (Continued) 46

Barrier Resins 47

Natural Polymers 47

Synthetic Polymers 47

Synthetic Polymers (Continued) 48

Vapor Permeability Values 49

TABLE 4 VAPOR PERMEABILITIES OF PACKAGING RESINS 49

TABLE 4 (CONTINUED) 50

Vapor Permeable Materials 50

Healthcare 51

Food 51

OTHER MATERIALS 52

Scavengers/Active Packaging 52

BARRIER STRUCTURES 53

Monolayer Structures 53

Multilayer Structures 54

Multilayer Structures (Continued) 55

CHAPTER FOUR: PACKAGING MARKETS BY BARRIER RESIN TYPES 56

OVERALL MARKET ESTIMATE AND FORECAST 56

TABLE 5 US PACKAGING BARRIER RESIN MARKET VOLUME

ESTIMATE BY TYPE, THROUGH 2016 (MILLION LBS) 57

REGENERATED CELLULOSE (CELLOPHANE) 58

TABLE 6 TYPICAL PROPERTIES OF REGENERATED CELLULOSE

(CELLOPHANE) 59

ETHYLENE-VINYL ALCOHOL COPOLYMERS 59

EVOH BARRIER PACKAGING MARKET ESTIMATES 60

TABLE 7 US PACKAGING VOLUME ESTIMATE FOR EVOH

BARRIER RESINS, THROUGH 2016 (MILLION LBS) 60

EVOH PROPERTIES 61

TABLE 8 TYPICAL EVOH PROPERTIES 62

TABLE 9 PROCESSES, ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS OF EVOH 62

EVOH Properties(Continued) 63

EVOH PRODUCERS 64

EVAL Americas 64

Noltex, LLC 65

EVOH STRUCTURES, FORMATS, AND APPLICATIONS 65

Food Packaging 66

Multilayer Barrier Structures 66

Film Orientation 67

Other Blends 68

Nonfood Packaging 68

FLUOROPOLYMERS—PCTFE 68

PCTFE BARRIER PACKAGING MARKET ESTIMATE 69

TABLE 10 US PACKAGING VOLUME ESTIMATE FOR PCTFE

BARRIER RESINS, THROUGH 2016 (MILLION LBS) 69

PCTFE PROPERTIES AND APPLICATIONS 70

TABLE 11 TYPICAL PCTFE PROPERTIES 70

TABLE 12 PCTFE ADVANTAGES 71

COMMERCIAL ACLAR BRAND PCTFE BARRIER RESINS

AND FILMS 72

NITRILE POLYMERS (POLYACRYLONITRILE AND

COPOLYMERS) 73

NITRILE (AN-MA) BARRIER PACKAGING MARKET

ESTIMATE 73

TABLE 13 US PACKAGING VOLUME ESTIMATE FOR NITRILE (ANMA)

BARRIER RESINS, THROUGH 2016 (MILLION LBS) 74

NITRILE RESIN PROPERTIES 74

TABLE 14 TYPICAL PROPERTIES OF AN-MA COPOLYMERS 75

NITRILE RESIN APPLICATIONS 75

Nitrile Resin Applications (Continued) 76

AN-MA RESIN STRUCTURES AND FORMATS 77

NYLON RESINS 78

NYLON BARRIER PACKAGING MARKET ESTIMATE 79

TABLE 15 US PACKAGING VOLUME ESTIMATE FOR NYLON

BARRIER RESINS, THROUGH 2016 (MILLION LBS) 79

PROPERTIES OF CRYSTALLINE NYLON RESINS 80

Unoriented Nylons 81

TABLE 16 TYPICAL PROPERTIES OF UNORIENTED NYLONS 81

Oriented Nylon 6 81

TABLE 17 TYPICAL PROPERTIES OF ORIENTED NYLON 6 81

Properties 82

AMORPHOUS NYLONS 83

TABLE 18 PROCESSING, ADVANTAGES, AND LIMITATIONS OF

AMORPHOUS NYLONS 83

DuPont's Selar Products 84

TABLE 19 TYPICAL PROPERTIES OF SELAR PA AMORPHOUS

NYLONS 84

MXD6 84

NYLON STRUCTURES AND FORMATS 85

POLYOLEFINS 86

POLYOLEFIN PROPERTIES 87

TABLE 20 TYPICAL PROPERTIES OF POLYETHYLENE FILMS 87

TABLE 21 TYPICAL PROPERTIES OF POLYPROPYLENE FILMS 87

THERMOPLASTIC POLYESTERS 88

POLYESTER BARRIER PACKAGING MARKET ESTIMATE 89

TABLE 22 US PACKAGING VOLUME ESTIMATE FOR

THERMOPLASTIC POLYESTER BARRIER RESINS, THROUGH

2016 (MILLION LBS) 89

Polyester Barrier … (Continued) 90

POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE 91

History 91

Properties 92

TABLE 23 TYPICAL PROPERTIES OF POLYESTER 92

TABLE 24 SOME ADVANTAGES OF PET BARRIER RESINS 92

TABLE 24 (CONTINUED) 93

Modified PET Resins 94

POLYETHYLENE NAPHTHALATE 94

Applications for PEN 95

POLYTRIMETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE 96

POLYVINYLIDENE CHLORIDE AND COPOLYMERS 97

PVDC BARRIER PACKAGING MARKET ESTIMATE 97

TABLE 25 US PACKAGING VOLUME ESTIMATE FOR PVDC

BARRIER RESINS, THROUGH 2016 (MILLION LBS) 97

PVDC PROPERTIES 98

TABLE 26 TYPICAL PROPERTIES OF POLYVINYLIDENE CHLORIDE 98

Advantages and Limitations 99

TABLE 27 PVDC PROCESSES, ADVANTAGES, AND LIMITATIONS 99

Crystallinity 100

PVdC versus Other High Barrier Resins 100

Consumer Attitudes 101

PVDC PACKAGING FORMATS AND APPLICATIONS 101

PVDC COATINGS 102

PVDC-Coated Films 103

PVdC-Coated Rigid Containers 103

OTHER BARRIER MATERIALS AND SYSTEMS 103

ADHESIVE TIE LAYER RESINS 104

Chemistry 104

Ionomers 105

Properties 105

TABLE 28 TYPICAL PROPERTIES OF ETHYLENE-VINYL ACETATE

COPOLYMER AND IONOMER FILM RESINS 105

Reactive Bonding 106

Tie Layer Resin Barrier Packaging Market Estimate 107

TABLE 29 US PACKAGING VOLUME ESTIMATE FOR BARRIER TIE

LAYER RESINS, THROUGH 2016 (MILLION LBS) 107

NONPOLYMERIC BARRIERS IN PLASTIC BARRIER

STRUCTURES 108

FILM METALLIZATION 108

INORGANIC BARRIER COATINGS 109

Silicon Oxide Coatings 109

Aluminum Oxide Coatings 110

LIQUID CRYSTAL POLYMERS 111

POLYARYLATES 112

CYCLO OLEFIN COPOLYMER 112

POLYETHYLENE FURANOATE 113

OXYGEN AND ETHYLENE SCAVENGING SYSTEMS 114

STRUCTURAL RESINS 115

POLYETHYLENES 116

POLYPROPYLENE 117

THERMOPLASTIC POLYESTERS 118

POLYSTYRENE 119

POLYCARBONATE 119

OTHERS 119

VAPOR PERMEABLE RESINS 119

VAPOR PERMEABLE RESIN PACKAGING MARKET

ESTIMATE 120

TABLE 30 US PACKAGING VOLUME ESTIMATE FOR VAPOR

PERMEABLE RESINS, THROUGH 2016 (MILLION LBS) 121

POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC) 122

TABLE 31 TYPICAL PROPERTIES OF POLYVINYL CHLORIDE FILMS 122

DUPONT TYVEK 123

DuPont Tyvek (Continued) 124

CONTROLLED/MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING 125

Controlled/Modified … (Continued) 126

TABLE 32 OPTIMUM HEADSPACE PACKAGING ATMOSPHERES

FOR PRODUCE (%) 127

Commercial CAP/MAP Films 128

Blended and Composite CAP/MAP Films 129

Microporous or Microperforated CAP/MAP Films 129

CAP/MAP Films with Permeable Windows 130

Landec Intelimer Films 130

Other New Concepts and Materials 131

Other New … (Continued) 132

CHAPTER FIVE: PACKAGING MARKETS BY BARRIER RESIN

APPLICATIONS 133

OVERALL MARKET ESTIMATE AND FORECAST 133

TABLE 33 OVERALL US MARKET ESTIMATE FOR PACKAGING

BARRIER RESIN VOLUMES BY APPLICATIONS, THROUGH 2016

(MILLION LBS) 133

FOOD PACKAGING 134

FOOD PACKAGING MARKETS 134

TABLE 34 US BARRIER PLASTIC FOOD PACKAGING MARKET

VOLUME ESTIMATE, THROUGH 2016 (MILLION LBS) 135

Barrier Resins 135

Vapor Permeable Resins 136

CHEMICAL/INDUSTRIAL PRODUCT PACKAGING 136

CHEMICAL/INDUSTRIAL BARRIER PACKAGING MARKET

ESTIMATE 137

TABLE 35 US BARRIER PLASTIC CHEMICAL AND INDUSTRIAL

PACKAGING MARKET VOLUME ESTIMATE, THROUGH 2016

(MILLION LBS) 137

Automotive Fuel Tanks 138

HEALTHCARE PACKAGING 139

HEALTHCARE BARRIER PACKAGING MARKET ESTIMATE 140

TABLE 36 US BARRIER PLASTIC HEALTHCARE PACKAGING

MARKET VOLUME ESTIMATE, THROUGH 2016 (MILLION LBS) 140

Healthcare Barrier … (Continued) 141

CHAPTER SIX: TECHNOLOGY 142

PLASTIC RESIN CHEMISTRY, MANUFACTURE, AND

PROPERTIES 142

COMMODITY RESINS 143

REGENERATED CELLULOSE (CELLOPHANE) 144

ETHYLENE-VINYL ALCOHOL COPOLYMERS 145

FLUOROPOLYMERS—BARRIER PCTFE 146

NITRILE POLYMERS (POLYACRYLONITRILE AND

COPOLYMERS) 147

NYLON (POLYAMIDE) RESINS 148

POLYOLEFINS 149

Polyethylene 149

Polyethylene (Continued) 150

Polypropylene 151

THERMOPLASTIC POLYESTERS 152

Modified Polyester Resins 153

Modified Polyester … (Continued) 154

Polyethylene Naphthalate 155

Polytrimethylene Terephthalate 155

VINYL POLYMERS 156

Polyvinyl Chloride and Copolymers 156

Polyvinylidene Chloride and Copolymers 156

OTHER BARRIER MATERIALS 157

Adhesive Tie Layer Resins 157

Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Resins 157

Acrylic Comonomer Tie Resins 158

OTHER STRUCTURAL RESINS 158

Ionomers 158

Polycarbonate 159

Polystyrene 160

NEWER POLYMERIZATION TECHNOLOGIES 161

POLYOLEFIN PROCESSES 161

Gas Phase Processes 161

Liquid Phase Processes 162

NEW AND IMPROVED POLYESTER RESINS AND

PROCESSES 163

DuPont's NG-3 Process 163

IntegRex Process 164

DAK's Melt-Tek Process 165

Teijin's Titanium-Based Catalyst 165

METALLOCENE/SINGLE-SITE CATALYST TECHNOLOGY 166

Metallocene/Single-… (Continued) 167

POLYMER FABRICATION TECHNOLOGY 168

RIGID STRUCTURES - PLASTICS MOLDING 168

Blow Molding 169

Extrusion Molding 169

Injection Molding 169

Extrusion Blow Molding 170

Injection Blow Molding 170

Stretch Blow Molding 171

FLEXIBLE STRUCTURES 171

Roll Goods Manufacture 171

Film Extrusion 172

The Film Extruder 172

Polymer Drying 173

Melt Film Fabrication 173

Blown Films 173

Blown Films (Continued) 174

Film Casting 175

Extrusion 176

Production 177

Solvent Casting 177

Thickness Downgauging 178

Form/Fill/Seal Packaging 178

THERMOFORMING TECHNOLOGY 179

Thermoform/Fill/Seal Packaging 180

Web Operation 181

POLYMER AND FILM ORIENTATION 182

BIAXIAL ORIENTATION—THE TENTER FRAME 183

BARRIER TECHNOLOGY 184

MOISTURE (WATER VAPOR) AND OXYGEN 185

OTHER GASES 185

LIGHT (VISIBLE AND ULTRAVIOLET) 185

ODORS, AROMAS, SOLVENT VAPORS, AND OTHERS 186

Organic Permeation Detection Systems 186

TESTING GAS PERMEABILITY 187

Oxygen Permeability Testing 187

Water Vapor Permeability Testing 188

NONPOLYMERIC BARRIER SURFACE FILMS AND COATINGS 189

METALLIZED FILMS 189

SILICON AND OTHER METAL OXIDE COATINGS 190

Silicon Oxide Coatings 190

Silicon Oxide … (Continued) 191

Other Metal Oxide Coatings 192

PLASMA TREATMENT 192

MULTILAYER LAMINATION AND COEXTRUSION 193

LAMINATION 193

COEXTRUSION 194

Feed Block Coextrusion 195

Multimanifold Die Coextrusion 195

Coextrusion vs Lamination 196

FOOD PROCESSING METHODS 196

THERMAL PROCESSING 197

Aseptic Processing 197

Hot-Fill Processing 198

Retort Processing 199

NONTHERMAL PROCESSING 199

FOOD PACKAGING 200

NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN BARRIER PACKAGING 201

MORE AND THINNER LAYERS IN MULTILAYER

STRUCTURES 202

More and Thinner … (Continued) 203

NEW BARRIER POLYMERS 204

OXYGEN SCAVENGERS 204

Systems 204

Systems (Continued) 205

Systems (Continued) 206

NANOCOMPOSITE BARRIERS 207

Products 208

Nanoclay Barrier Coatings 209

NEW CLOSURE DESIGNS 210

NEW PET BARRIER METHODS AND MATERIALS 211

New PET Barrier … (Continued) 212

Chemical Vapor Deposition 213

Coca-Cola/Krones BestPET Coating System 214

Plasmax Plasma Coating System 215

Dow's Blox Barrier Plastics 216

Indspec Resorcinol-Based PET Copolymers 216

Invista's Polyshield PET Resin and Barrier Structure 217

M&G's ActiTUF Barrier Resins and PolyProtect Products 217

nGimat's "Open Atmosphere" System 218

ORMOCER Ceramic Coatings 219

Owens-Illinois/Graham Packaging SurShot System and

SurShield Barrier Structure 220

Plastlac's PetSkin UV Coating 220

Polymer and Processing Modifications 221

PPG Bairocade Coatings 221

Sidel's Actis System 222

RWTH Aachen University's Double-Sided Coating System 223

Tetra Pak's Glaskin and Sealica Systems 223

APPE's Combination Barrier System 224

PLASTIC BEER BOTTLES 225

Technologies Used 226

Some History and Background 226

Some History … (Continued) 227

Some History … (Continued) 228

Some History … (Continued) 229

The Current Situation 230

CHAPTER SEVEN: INDUSTRY STRUCTURE AND COMPETITIVE

ANALYSIS 231

TRENDS IN THE US BARRIER PLASTIC RESINS INDUSTRY 231

TRENDS IN THE US BARRIER … (CONTINUED) 232

BARRIER PLASTIC RESIN AND PACKAGING SUPPLIERS 233

INTEGRATION: HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL 233

INDUSTRY CONCENTRATION AND CONSOLIDATION 234

Recent Organizational Changes 234

Recent Organizational … (Continued) 235

Investment Drivers 236

IMPACT OF LARGE RESIN PRODUCERS AND END USERS 237

CASE STUDY: PET BOTTLE RESIN PRODUCERS 238

PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION AND SUBSTITUTION 239

MARKET ENTRY FACTORS 239

COMPOUNDERS/CONVERTERS/MOLDERS AND DISTRIBUTORS 240

MARKETING 240

FACTORS AFFECTING MARKET SIZE AND GROWTH 240

Factors Affecting … (Continued) 241

END USER RESIN SELECTION CRITERIA 242

INTERNATIONAL ASPECTS 243

GLOBAL USE OF BARRIER PACKAGING AND RESINS 244

TABLE 37 INTERNATIONAL MAJOR BARRIER RESIN MARKETS,

2011 (MILLION LBS) 245

MAJOR FOREIGN PLAYERS 245

IMPORTS AND EXPORTS 246

Imports and Exports (Continued) 247

CHAPTER EIGHT: ENVIRONMENTAL, REGULATORY, AND PUBLIC

POLICY ISSUES 248

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS 248

DISPOSAL OF WASTE PLASTICS 248

MATERIALS SUBSTITUTION 249

Paper 250

Glass 250

Metals 251

Inter-plastic Competition 251

Thermoplastic Polyesters 251

Polyolefins 252

Specialty Barrier Packaging Resins 253

Biodegradable Resins and other "Sustainable

Packaging" 253

RECYCLING 254

Plastics Recycling Symbols 255

PET Container Recycling 256

EVOH 257

Nitrile (AN-MA) Resins 258

PVdC 258

Multilayer Structures 259

SOURCE REDUCTION 260

BIODEGRADABILITY AND OTHER FACTORS 261

Biodegradability … (Continued) 262

ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS 263

Environmental Laws … (Continued) 264

Environmental Laws … (Continued) 265

Recycling 266

FEDERAL LAWS AND REGULATORY PROCESSES 266

FOOD SAFETY MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2011 267

PACKAGING LAW 267

Packaging Law (Continued) 268

CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS 269

THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) 270

Food Additive Categories 271

Regulation of Food Packaging Materials 271

Food Additive Petitions 272

Premarket or Food Contact Notification System 273

Use of Recycled Plastics in Packaging 274

FDA Rules 275

New Rules on Reporting Contamination 276

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 277

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) 277

OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES 278

STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES 279

CASE STUDY: POLYACRYLONITRILE RESINS 279

PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS 280

PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS (CONTINUED) 281

PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS (CONTINUED) 282

"GREENWASHING" 283

CHAPTER NINE: COMPANY PROFILES 284

INTRODUCTION 284

SUPPLIER COMPANIES 285

AMCOR FLEXIBLES AMERICAS 285

Amcor Rigid Plastics 285

AMPAC HOLDINGS, LLC/AMPAC FLEXIBLES 286

APPLIED EXTRUSION TECHNOLOGIES, INC/AET FILMS 287

ARKEMA, INC 288

ASCEND PERFORMANCE MATERIALS, LLC 288

BALL CORP 289

BASF CORP 290

BAYER CORP 291

BEMIS CO, INC 292

BILCARE RESEARCH, INC 293

CELANESE CORP 294

Celanese EVA Performance Polymers 294

Ticona 294

Ticona (Continued) 295

CHEVRON PHILLIPS CHEMICAL CO 296

COLORMATRIX CORP 297

CONSTAR INTL, LLC 298

DAIKIN AMERICA, INC 299

DAK AMERICAS, LLC 300

THE DOW CHEMICAL CO 301

The Dow Chemical Co (continued) 302

DSM 303

DSM Engineering Plastics 303

EI DUPONT DE NEMOURS AND CO 304

DuPont Teijin Films US, Ltd 304

DuPont … (Continued) 305

ELEMENTIS SPECIALTIES, INC 306

EMS-CHEMIE HOLDING AG 307

EMS-Grivory 307

EMS-Chemie (North America) 307

EVAL AMERICAS—SEE KURARAY 308

EXXONMOBIL CORP 308

ExxonMobil Chemical 308

GRAHAM PACKAGING CO 309

Graham Packaging Co (Continued) 310

GRAPHIC PACKAGING HOLDING CO 311

GRUPPO MOSSI & GHISOLFI 311

Gruppo Mossi & Ghisolfi (Continued) 312

HONEYWELL, INC 313

INDORAMA POLYMERS PUBLIC CO, LTD 314

StarPet 314

AlphaPet 314

INEOS USA, LLC/INEOS BAREX 315

INERGY AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS (USA), LLC 316

KLÖCKNER-PENTAPLAST OF AMERICA, INC 316

Klöckner-Pentaplast (continued) 317

KOCH INDUSTRIES, INC 318

Invista 318

Invista (Continued) 319

KURARAY CO, LTD 320

Eval Americas 320

KUREHA CORP 321

LANDEC CORP 322

LANXESS CORP 323

LYONDELLBASELL INDUSTRIES 324

MITSUBISHI CHEMICAL CORP 325

Mitsubishi Chemical 325

Mitsubishi Polyester Film 325

Mitsubishi … (Continued) 326

MITSUBISHI GAS CHEMICAL AMERICA, INC 327

Mitsubishi Engineering-Plastics Corp 327

MEP America 327

MITSUBISHI PLASTICS, INC 328

MITSUI CHEMICALS AMERICA, INC 329

Mitsui Plastics 329

MULTISORB TECHNOLOGIES 330

NANOCOR 331

NOLTEX, LLC 331

Soarus, LLC 331

MSI Technology, LLC 332

PERLEN CONVERTING, LLC 333

PPG INDUSTRIES 333

PRETIUM CONTAINER CORP 334

Novapak 334

PRINTPACK, INC 335

REXAM, PLC 336

ROLLPRINT PACKAGING PRODUCTS, INC 336

SCHOLLE PACKAGING, INC 337

SEALED AIR CORP 337

Cryovac 338

SKC, INC 339

SOLVAY GROUP 340

Solvay Specialty Polymers/SolVin 340

SOUTHERN CLAY PRODUCTS, INC 341

SPARTECH CORP/SPARTECH PLASTICS 341

TIEPET USA/STARPET, INC—SEE INDORAMA 342

TEKNI-FILMS US 342

TETRA LAVAL 343

Sidel 343

Tetra Pak 343

Tetra Pak (Continued) 344

TOPAS ADVANCED POLYMERS, INC 345

TORAY INDUSTRIES (AMERICA), INC 346

Toray Plastics (America) 346

VIFAN USA, INC 347

WINPAK, LTD 347

Winpak, Ltd (Continued) 348

APPENDIX: GLOSSARY OF IMPORTANT TERMS, ABBREVIATIONS,

AND ACRONYMS 349

APPENDIX 349

APPENDIX (CONTINUED) 350

APPENDIX (CONTINUED) 351

APPENDIX (CONTINUED) 352

APPENDIX (CONTINUED) 353

APPENDIX (CONTINUED) 354

APPENDIX (CONTINUED) 355

APPENDIX (CONTINUED) 356

APPENDIX (CONTINUED) 357

APPENDIX (CONTINUED) 358

APPENDIX (CONTINUED) 359

APPENDIX (CONTINUED) 360

APPENDIX (CONTINUED) 361

APPENDIX (CONTINUED) 362

APPENDIX (CONTINUED) 363

APPENDIX (CONTINUED) 364

APPENDIX (CONTINUED) 365

APPENDIX (CONTINUED) 366

APPENDIX (CONTINUED) 367

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