A study of the impact of high-speed sealing parameter gradients on the seal strength in a multilayer polypropylene film

Abstract

Multilayer polymer films continue to be used in food packaging high-speed lines; this research focuses on obtaining better film adhesion under controlled sealing conditions. The present work aims to describe the presence of temperature gradients in the body of the sealing jaw, the dwell time gradients, and the surface pressure gradients, experimenting with a high-speed sealing process. The samples’ adhesion was measured using the peeling test, and the peeling graphs of the tests were analyzed to observe the differences and similarities of each sealing parameter combination. Experimental data were used to generate the surface response families of the seal strength of multilayer polymer film. The model describes, in a 3D space, the influence zones that sealing parameter gradients had on the seal strength. The surface model and experimental data indicate that temperature is a decisive parameter of seal strength.