Airflex® EF9100 emulsion for a fresh alternative to environmental and cost-sensitive market challenges
Airflex EF9100 emulsion is one product in Air Products Polymer, L.P.'s family of barrier coatings being introduced to the worldwide packaging market for use as a coating for grease-resistant paper applications.
07/10/05 The task is to keep oil, grease and water from penetrating paperboard packages to help maintain product freshness, showcase a clean aesthetic appearance, and to do so in an environmentally-friendly and cost-effective manner. If that is the packaging formulator's challenge, then Airflex® EF9100 emulsion is the formulation solution. Airflex EF9100 emulsion is one product in Air Products Polymer, L.P.'s family of barrier coatings being introduced to the worldwide packaging market for use as a coating for grease-resistant paper applications.
Barrier coatings are coatings or finishes that are applied to a surface to prevent penetration of liquids or gases from one side of the surface to the other. A barrier coating can serve two purposes: it can either serve to protect or shield the encased material from substances which will alter the material's properties; or it can prevent components of the encased material from migrating through and altering the graphics printed on the outside of the surface or packaging.
Air Products' emulsions for use in barrier coatings are readily available and can be used in food contact applications. The website, http://www.airproducts.com/FDAletters, links to product status for direct and indirect food contact. Airflex EF9100 emulsion features include the prevention of wetting and wicking of oils, and the ability to be applied on a paper machine and to ordinary paper with no extra refining required. It can be formulated and applied by most common coating application methods.
Airflex EF9100 emulsion film is breathable and allows moisture vapor to escape from the package. The waterborne product is also resistant to solvents such as turpentine and various alcohols used in the printing process. Airflex EF9100 emulsion is an environmentally-friendly technology with low VOC content and low formaldehyde levels.
Air Products Polymers, L.P., a limited partnership between Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. and Wacker-Chemie, Gmbh (Munich, Germany), is a global leader in the production of vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer dispersions with production facilities in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
Air Products serves customers in technology, energy, healthcare and industrial markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of products, services and solutions, providing atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials and chemical intermediates. Founded in 1940, Air Products has built leading positions in key growth markets such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home healthcare services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety and the environment and is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability and FTSE4Good Indices. The company has annual revenues of $7.4 billion, operations in over 30 countries, and nearly 20,000 employees around the globe.
