Environmentally Friendly Films Made With a New Family of Linear Ethylene Polymers

Abstract

The public's ever-increasing environmental consciousness is driv ing the plastics packaging industry to constantly consider the complete life cy cle of their products. One avenue by which packaging film producers are responding to the "green" movement is by manufacturing polyolefin-based films containing Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) polyolefins. These types of films are commercial in a wide variety of end uses, many of which have been tradition ally serviced by films made from high pressure process-low density polyethyl ene (HRLDPE). One obvious technical approach toward improving on this effort is to produce a film having as high a recycle content as possible but with a strength and toughness similar to that of the original HP-LDPE films. Any polymer which could effectively incorporate very high (50% +) levels of PCR into these type films would be of significant interest to the industry. Several new linear ethylene polymers have been used to increase the recycle content of these type films to very high levels while maintaining good film toughness properties. A series of blown films produced during an early screen ing study demonstrated the good physical properties and acceptable processing characteristics of these high PCR content blends containing these unique linear ethylene polymers.