PRODUCTS

METALLIZED FILM FOR PACKAGING APPLICATION

Metallized film is used by converting companies whose production is placed in an evolutive field where industries aim to make highly reliable and competitive components.

FILMET has developed a high barrier metallized film for packaging that satisfy request of certified metallized products.

Our metallized films allow you to safely match these competitive challenges due to their high mechanical performances and excellent thermal and chemical qualities, our film is subject to on-line quality control that guarantees metallized films fundamental features.

Quality performance, flexibility and reliable service allow FILMET to meet today market's needs.

METALLIZED FILM FOR PACKAGING

Metallizing process take place by evaporating aluminium in an high vacuum chamber. The very thin layer of aluminium that condense on film give an excellent barrier to light, water vapour, oxygen, and other gas.

Past years saw a great development for traditional aluminium metallization for the following reasons: simple production process, easy adhesion of the metal on film, strong mechanical resistance of the layer and long-lasting performances of the product.

Metallized films were widely use in packaging industry in last few years due to these main characteristics and development of modern product depend on the evolution of the flexible packaging field. Metallized films' fundamental technical application rely on their particular properties:

Barrier
Substitutive
Environmental
Aesthetics

Barrier Property
FILMET High Barrier satisfy food manufacturers' needs to reduce antioxidant and preservative in their own products and also help to increase product's shelf life.

Barrier properties are guarantee by the uniformity of the aluminium layer deposited on film and by the reductions of any microscopic defects, such as pinholes, on the metallized layer. Less weak points and defects on aluminium layer better are the barrier performance of metallized film for gasses and light transmission.

Aluminium layer's real uniformity is measured by many point-by-point measures on the film metallized surface. Totality of these measures draw a distribution curve, which dispersion around the metallization resistivity value, follow the shape of the curve indicated in the graphic.

Substitutive Property
FILMET High Barrier can be the economical substitute of aluminium foil for all kinds of application where Al-foil is used to guarantee barrier effect. Aluminium layer deposited on film is very thin (100/250 Ångström). This extremely thin layer guarantee top barrier properties also after lamination because, unlike the foil, it is less rigid and does not crack or break.

Here-following graphic consider quantity and cost of metallized film compared with aluminium foil. Same performance can be obtained by using an aluminium quantity of 130 time less at a cost of 5 time less.

Metallized film and Al-foil (weight and cost comparison)

Environmental Propriety
Metallized film use helps to save energy and to increase the environmental protection for the following reasons:

Very good utilisation of aluminium and drastic reduction of un-recyclable metal waste
Wider possibility to use single-layer film therefore reduction in use of multi-layer films
Lower power consumption for production
Less transport consumption

Aesthetics Properties
Brightness of metallized film help into the presentation of products by enhancing the particular aesthetic and decorative characteristics of flexible packaging.

FILMET METALLIZED FILM CHARACTERISTICS

FILMET supply an High Barrier film that enhance metallized films' main characteristics:

Continuity of metallized layer distribution on film.
Uniformity of the thickness' layer.
Homogeneity of the layer.

Product quality constancy is assured by strict control of the production process' numerous variables.

Incoming test is performed on every single production lot to control treatment and conformity of plain film. Productions main parameters are checked and memorised during the all process (vacuum, film speed, temperature, evaporation boots etc.)
Final quality report is enclose to every production lot.

Accurate slitting and rewinding help material to stabilise for the following printing treatments

Mans expertise, developed on thin film technology, together with new investment in machine and instruments are our guarantee to create metallized product suitable for your application needs.

Oxygen and water vapour permeability's data are compared in the following table and graphic which show the advantages of metallized films compared with plain films, considering oxygen and water permeability.

PRODUCT THICKNESS
(m) OXYGEN
(cc/m²/24 h) WATER VAPOR
(g/m²/24 h)

PET 12 140 20

PET METALLIZED 12 <1.0 <1.0

NYLON 12 45 350

NYLON METALLIZED 12 <2.5 <1.0

OPP 20 1500 <1.5

OPP METALLIZED 20 <200 <0.6

LDPE 50 2500 1.0

(indicative values)

PRODUCT	THICKNESS (m)	OXYGEN (cc/m²/24 h)	WATER VAPOR (g/m²/24 h)
PET	12	140	20
PET METALLIZED	12	<1.0	<1.0
NYLON	12	45	350
NYLON METALLIZED	12	<2.5	<1.0
OPP	20	1500	<1.5
OPP METALLIZED	20	<200	<0.6
LDPE	50	2500	1.0

Oxygen Permeability
(cc/m²/24h)

Better performances can be obtained by laminating two metallized films, in this case drastic reductions of pinholes give to the film an unbeatable barrier effect.
Following table indicate some common laminated structures and their possible utilisation.

LAMINATION TYPES CHARACTERISTICS MAIN UTILISATION

MPET+MPET Excellent high barrier Bag-in-box, liquid packing (juice, concentrate)

MPET+MPE Al foil substitute, very good oxygen and flavour barrier Dry packing, coffee, frozen foods

MPET+MOPP Very good moisture barrier Solid and hygroscopic packing (chocolate, biscuit)

MPE+MPE Good barrier with very good strength and sealing performances Industrial packaging

MOPP+MOPP Good barrier and machinability Snacks

LAMINATION TYPES	CHARACTERISTICS	MAIN UTILISATION
MPET+MPET	Excellent high barrier	Bag-in-box, liquid packing (juice, concentrate)
MPET+MPE	Al foil substitute, very good oxygen and flavour barrier	Dry packing, coffee, frozen foods
MPET+MOPP	Very good moisture barrier	Solid and hygroscopic packing (chocolate, biscuit)
MPE+MPE	Good barrier with very good strength and sealing performances	Industrial packaging
MOPP+MOPP	Good barrier and machinability	Snacks

At the present time metallized film is used in different laminated structures. The following table indicate the advantages and disadvantages of the most common ones.

ONE/TWO-LAYER
STRUCTURE ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE

PRINT
PET
MET
---ADHESIVE
PE High protection of the metallized layer and therefore preservation of barrier properties.
Substitute of Al foil (3 layers)
Production process need lamination before printing.
Some problems with adhesive between PE and the metallized side

OPP
PRINT
---ADHESIVE
MET
PET Very thin sandwich structure that well preserve the barrier properties Higher cost due to films (OPP-PET)

PRINT
PAPER
---ADHESIVE
MET
PET Very good barrier
Al foil substitute Sealing

PRINT
MET
PET-OPP Simple one layer structure with very good strength and flexibility Small final application

PRINT
MET
PET
---ADHESIVE
PE Very simple structure Possible damaging of external metallized layer strongly decrease the barrier properties

ONE/TWO-LAYER STRUCTURE	ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGE
PRINT PET MET ---ADHESIVE PE	High protection of the metallized layer and therefore preservation of barrier properties. Substitute of Al foil (3 layers)	Production process need lamination before printing. Some problems with adhesive between PE and the metallized side
OPP PRINT ---ADHESIVE MET PET	Very thin sandwich structure that well preserve the barrier properties	Higher cost due to films (OPP-PET)
PRINT PAPER ---ADHESIVE MET PET	Very good barrier Al foil substitute	Sealing
PRINT MET PET-OPP	Simple one layer structure with very good strength and flexibility	Small final application
PRINT MET PET ---ADHESIVE PE	Very simple structure	Possible damaging of external metallized layer strongly decrease the barrier properties

METALLIZED FILM FOR PACKAGING

Metallized film and Al-foil (weight and cost comparison)

FILMET METALLIZED FILM CHARACTERISTICS

Oxygen Permeability (cc/m2/24h)

Oxygen Permeability
(cc/m²/24h)