Polypropylene copolymer based linear tear multi-layer film
A product packaging that exhibits good linear tear behavior. The product packaging being a multi-layer film having an inner layer made from a blend of ethylene copolymer and polypropylene copolymer. The inner layer of the multi-layer film being a substantial proportion of the thickness of the multi-layer film. The multi-layer film having linear tear behavior even when a force is applied at an angle offset from the tear direction.
1 . A packaged product comprising:
a. a first product;
b. a multi-layer film shrunk to an outer surface of the first product;
the multi-layer film comprising:
a first outer layer having a first thickness;
a second outer layer having a second thickness; and
an inner layer comprising a blend of between 60-80 wt % polypropylene copolymer and between 20-40 wt % of an ethylene copolymer;
a first intermediate layer disposed between the first outer layer and the inner layer; and
a second intermediate layer disposed between the second outer layer and the inner layer;
wherein the inner layer has a thickness that is at least 45% the thickness of the multi-layer film;
the multi-layer film having at least one tear initiator to initiate tear propagation of the multi-layer film along a tear line;
the multi-layer film having an Angled Tear Deviation Area when torn in at least one of the machine or transverse directions of not more than 800 mm 2 , the Angled Tear Deviation Area being calculated from a 13 cm tear with a tear force applied at an angle of 26.6° offset from a desired linear tear path and measured in accordance an Angled Tear Deviation Test.
2 . The packaged product of claim 1 , wherein the first product is a box containing a second product.
3 . The packaged product of claim 1 wherein the first product is rectangular prism shaped.
4 . The packaged product of claim 1 wherein the multi-layer film comprises a pair of tear initiators on a first surface of the packaged product.
5 . The packaged product of claim 4 wherein the pair of tear initiators are spaced away from an upper surface of the packaged product by at least 10 mm and are positioned on a surface orthogonal to the upper surface of the packaged product.
6 . The packaged product of claim 4 wherein pair of tear initiators intimate linear tear propagation in a first plane and the pair of tear initiators are spaced apart in a second plane orthogonal to the first plane by a distance of 5-100 mm.
7 . The packaged product of claim 4 wherein a grip assistor is disposed between the pair of tear initiators.
8 . The packaged product of claim 1 wherein the multi-layer film is a 5-layer symmetrical film.
9 . The packaged product of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the inner layer is between 45 and 80% of the thickness of the multi-layer film.
10 . The packaged product of claim 1 wherein the first outer layer is directly adhered to a first surface of the first intermediate layer and the second outer layer is adhered to a first surface of the second intermediate layer, and a second surface of a the first intermediate layer is directly adhered to a first surface of the inner layer and a second surface of a the second intermediate layer is directly adhered to a second surface of the inner layer.
11 . The packaged product of claim 1 wherein the first outer layer comprises at least 50, 60, 70 wt % ethylene copolymer.
12 . The packaged product of claim 11 wherein the first outer layer further comprises at least 9 wt % ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer.
13 . The packaged product of claim 1 wherein the multi-layer film has a tear initiation of less than 300 gf, less than 250 gf or less than 200 gf in the machine direction as measured in accordance with ASTM D-1004-21.
14 . A multi-layer film comprising
a. a first outer layer having a first thickness;
b. a second outer layer having a second thickness; and
c. an inner layer comprising a blend of between 60-80 wt % polypropylene copolymer and between 20-40 wt % of an ethylene copolymer;
d. a first intermediate layer disposed between the first outer layer and the inner layer; and
e. a second intermediate layer disposed between the second outer layer and the inner layer;
wherein the inner layer has a thickness that is at least 45% the thickness of the multi-layer film;
the multi-layer film having an Angled Tear Deviation Area when torn in at least one of the machine or transverse directions of not more than 800 mm 2 , the Angled Tear Deviation Area being calculated from a 13 cm tear with a tear force applied at an angle of 26.6° offset from a desired linear tear path and measured in accordance an Angled Tear Deviation Test.
15 . The multi-layer film of claim 14 wherein the inner layer is between 45% and 75% the thickness of the multi-layer film.
16 . The multi-layer film of claim 14 wherein the first outer layer is directly adhered to a first surface of the first intermediate layer and the second outer layer is adhered to a first surface of the second intermediate layer, and a second surface of a the first intermediate layer is directly adhered to a first surface of the inner layer and a second surface of a the second intermediate layer is directly adhered to a second surface of the inner layer.
17 . The multi-layer film of claim 14 wherein the multi-layer film has a tear initiation of less than 300 gf in the machine direction as measured in accordance with ASTM D-1004-21.
18 . The multi-layer film of claim 14 wherein the multi-layer film has a free shrink at 100° C. in at least one of the machine direction or the transverse direction of between 10%-70% free shrink measuring according to ASTM D 2732-14R20.
19 . The multi-layer film of claim 14 wherein the multi-layer film has a haze of less than 5 percent measured in accordance with ASTM D 1003-21 and a clarity of at least 70 percent measured in accordance with ASTM D 1746-15.
20 . A method for packaging a product comprising the steps of:
a. providing a first product;
b. wrapping the first product in a multi-layer film;
the multi-layer film comprising:
a first outer layer having a first thickness;
a second outer layer having a second thickness; and
an inner layer comprising a blend of between 60-80 wt % polypropylene copolymer and between 20-40 wt % of an ethylene copolymer;
a first intermediate layer disposed between the first outer layer and the inner layer; and
a second intermediate layer disposed between the second outer layer and the inner layer;
wherein the inner layer has a thickness that is at least 45% the thickness of the multi-layer film;
the multi-layer film having an Angled Tear Deviation Area when torn in at least one of the machine or transverse directions of not more than 800 mm 2 , the Angled Tear Deviation Area being calculated from a 13 cm tear with a tear force applied at an angle of 26.6° offset from a desired linear tear path and measured in accordance an Angled Tear Deviation Test
c. sealing the multi-layer film;
d. shrinking the multi-layer film to cause the multi-layer film to fit taught around the first product.