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FOCUS
COVER STORY
High Barrier Solutions
for Plastic
Containers
Using Fluorination Process
Bhupendra Singh
Product Manager, Bloom
Packaging Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai
As the fluorination
treatment level is increased, the
% Transmission Ratio values also
keeps on increasing as shown
in Fig. 8. Thus fluorination
treatment is quantified.
It is very difficult to get the
same and exact values for the
% Transmission Ratio obtained
by FTIR every time. Hence a
range for these values is taken
for the easy under standing of
the treatment level. This range
of % Transmission Ratio value
Fig. 6: The FTIR of untreated Polyethylene (PE)
is then represented in the form
of values which is defined as
the ‘Level of Fluorination’. The
conversion of range of %
Transmission Ratio to Level of
Fluorination is as given in Table
I.
The fluorinators world wide Currently the most
uses this ‘Level of Fluorination’ accepted packaging
which helps their customer as a applications of
ready reference during selection
of the fluorinated containers. fluorinated plastic
Every product requires different containers include
level of fluorination as they
insecticides,
require different barrier
Fig. 7: FTIR of treated Polyethylene properties. The customer takes herbicides, petroleum
the fluorinated container based based products like
on his barrier requirement; more
lube oil, petrol,
is the barrier requirement or
dangerous the chemical, the cleaning solvents,
customer goes for higher levels automotive additives,
of treatment. There after a
customer would test these penetrating oil,
containers for the product degreasers, paint
compatibility and stability in the thinners, essential oil
container. After he is satisfied
with one level of treatment he and pine oil.
will always ask for that level for
his particular product package.
The level of fluorination is
then generally decided by the
agreement between the
Fig. 8: FTIR peaks for increasing treatment levels (U – Represents no customer and the supplier after
treatment, 1-5 represents increasing Level of Fluorination) the customer is satisfied that a
Conclusion
Fluorinated plastic containers and
components will find various niche
applications in the packaging of highly
permeative, hazardous and corrosive
chemicals. This technology offers great
flexibility in terms of design and creativity
to the end users. The recent applications in
fuel tank, thinner, petro-product, agro, flavour
and fragrance market will provide better
alternative packaging options to the
respective industries. With its unique
advantages fluorination process can be used
in various innovative packaging
applications.