Recyclable packaging film and article with mechanically pre-slit controlled tear line

1. A method of forming a flexible packaging film, comprising:

providing a first web including a polymer sealant layer, the first web having a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface;

providing a second web including a polymer outer layer, the second web having a third major surface and a fourth major surface opposite the third major surface;

applying an adhesive layer to the second major surface;

laminating the first web to the third major surface; and

prior to said laminating, forming one or more continuous and uninterrupted slits extending in a machine direction in the second web, each of said one or more slits completely penetrating the second web.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said applying an adhesive comprises feeding the first web in the machine direction past a coater.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the coater is selected from the group consisting of a spray coater, knife coater, roll coater, and slit die coater.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein said laminating comprises feeding the first web and second web to a nip point occurring between a pair of nip rollers.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein each of the one or more slits extends in the machine direction.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more slits includes a first slit and a second slit, wherein the first and second slits are configured to be substantially aligned with each other in a packaging article formed from the flexible packaging film.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second web includes a printed ink layer disposed on the third major surface.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the printed ink layer is a reverse printed ink layer.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more slits are formed using a slitter selected from the group consisting of a razor in air slitter, razor in grooved roll slitter, and a rotary knife shear slitter.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer sealant layer is a recyclable polyethylene sealant layer and the polymer outer layer is a recyclable polyethylene outer layer.

11. A method of forming a packaging article, comprising:

providing a first web including a polymer sealant layer, the first web having a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface;

providing a second web including a polymer outer layer, the second web having a third major surface and a fourth major surface opposite the third major surface;

applying an adhesive layer to the second major surface;

laminating the first web to the third major surface to form a laminated flexible packaging film;

prior to said laminating, forming one or more continuous and uninterrupted slits extending in a machine direction in the second web, each of said one or more slits completely penetrating the second web; and

sealing a first portion of the first major surface to a second portion of the first major surface to form a hermetically sealed packaging article, wherein the one or more slits form a line of preferential tearing for opening the packaging article.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sealant layer is heat and/or ultrasonic sealable to itself or a like sealant layer.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the packaging article comprises:

a body having a front panel, a back panel opposing the front panel, and a bottom panel adjoining the front, back, first side, and second side panels at a bottom end of the body;

the front panel and back panel sealed along a top end of the body opposite the bottom end, the body having a longitudinal axis passing through the top and bottom ends, and wherein the front panel, back panel, and bottom panel enclose an interior;

the front panel, back panel, and bottom panel each formed of the laminated flexible packaging film;

the one or more slits defining a first line of preferential tearing extending transversely across the front panel adjacent the top end;

the one or more slits further defining a second line of preferential tearing extending transversely across the back panel adjacent the top end, wherein the second score line is substantially aligned with the first score line along the longitudinal axis.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the packaging article further comprises a first side panel intermediate the front and back panels on a first transverse side of the body and a second side panel intermediate the front and back panels on a second transverse side of the body.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the polymer sealant layer is a recyclable polyethylene sealant layer and the polymer outer layer is a recyclable polyethylene outer layer.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the polymer outer layer includes a moisture and oxygen permeation barrier.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the barrier is formed of EVOH and the laminated flexible packaging film has an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) in the range of between 0.05 cc/100 in 2 /24 hr and 0.25 cc/100 in 2 /24 hr at 23° C. and 0% relative humidity.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first web includes a first polyethylene-based layer attached to an inward facing surface of the first web, a second polyethylene-based layer forming an innermost surface of the laminated flexible packaging film, and a barrier layer disposed intermediate the first and second polyethylene-based layers.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first web further includes a first tie layer disposed intermediate the first polyethylene-based layer and the barrier layer and a second tie layer disposed intermediate the second polyethylene-based layer and the barrier layer.

20. A flexible packaging film formed by the method of claim 1 .