Brief Introduction to Pearl Film

Pearl film is made from polypropylene resin as raw material. Then add calcium carbonate and pearlescent pigments and mix them. Finally, pearl film is finished by biaxial stretch. Because of applying mechanical foaming method, the proportion of pearl film is just 0.7, while that of PP is about 0.9. Thus flexible packaging companies are willing to use pear films for their inexpensive prices, good decoration, and excellent performance. Generally, because they have a certain pearl effect, BOPP pearl film/CPP of composite structures and BOPP Pearl film/PE are often used in cold drink packaging such as: ice cream, heat seal label, sweet food, biscuits, and local flavour snack packaging.

Pearl Film Theory -

Pearl film is a kind of BOPP film produced by adding pearl pigments into plastic particles and through biaxial stretch heat setting. A typical pearl film is BOPP pearl film produced by A/B/A3 layer co-extruded biaxial stretch. Among them, B is polypropylene mixed with pearl master batch, and A is a kind of PP copolymer varies depending on the properties of pearl film surface, with good heat sealability. Biaxial stretch is done below the melting point of B but above the melting point of A.
Because B contains much pearlescent inorganic pigment particles, the biaxial stretch result will be that polypropylene molecules orient along with the exogenous process direction, and the distance between the pearlescent pigment particles is widened, forming holes, making B layer foam plastic for mechanical foaming. Therefore, pearl film of A/B/A structure is a kind of two-way stretch foam plastic film, proportion of which is less than that of BOPP film, only 0.7~0.75, and generally the average proportion of BOPP film is about 0.9.

A layer protects B layer in the BOPP pearl film and gives pearl film certain heat sealability. So pearl film of A/B/A structure has good heat sealing property. However, pearl film only made from B material can only rely on the porocity of film and some heat sealing property of small amounts non-oriented PP molecules. So the heat seal pearl film is easy to peel.

Application of Pearl Film in Auto Industry -

In recent two years, there is a kind of gorgeous color alteration film appeared in car body colour alteration film industry, which we call pearl film.
Take car clothes as an example, the pearl film imported from Belgium include black, pink, white, orange, purple, red, blue and apple green. After the pearl film is stuck on the car body, under lamp light or sunlight, it will give out gorgeous colors, very ornamental. Many car owners who like pursue individuality and rate of second glance will choose pearl film.

Uses and Attributes of BOPP Films – Its Pros and its Cons

Biaxially Oriented PolyPropylene (BOPP Film) is the film that has been stretched both mechanically and also in manually using cross direction technique. Due to its advantages this film has become one of the most popular and highly demanded films all across the globe.

 

These are the films that have BOPP as the base material. Its unique attributes are:

1. These films have the density nearer to 0.90 g/m and hence it renders high yield at the same cost as compared to other films viz. polyester films
2. BOPP films have excellent gloss and high transparency that give it an excellent look and fine finish.
3. Other polyester films are not resistant to outside pollution whereas BOPP films act as good moisture resistant barrier and have tendency to resist pollution and harmful chemicals.
4. This film have spectrum of wide range and are easily available viz. Matte, Glossy, Silky matter etc.
5. Excellent clarity
6. Best dimensional stability and flatness
7. Low electro static charge
8. Acts as good barrier to water vapor
9. BOPP films exert good and optimum performance on high speeding printing
10. Apart from resistant to harmful chemicals and pollution, these films act as resistant to oils and grease
11. Good puncture and flex crack resistance over wide range of temperatures
12. Also BOPP films are not affected by the moisture and does not wrinkle or shrink with changes in the environment
13. They are recyclable

BOPP films have great benefits like:

• They are environment friendly
• Are light in weight
• Are accepted easily all across the world
• Damage of the product due to transport, weather etc are reduced
• to great extent
• Has the tendency to keep the product dry
• No de- lamination is required
• They have good clarity and are resistant to ultra violet rays

BOPP Films For Packaging Market Future Innovation Strategies

BOPP Films For Packaging Market Future Innovation Strategies, Growth & Profit Analysis, Forecast by 2025"BOPP products can be segmented on basis of their applications into electronics, food packaging, insulation, cosmetics, lamination and printing. Applications for these finely metalized films are numerous; including heat-sealant insulation and element-resistant food packaging for meat, chips, biscuits and other food products.

Biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films are thermoplastic polymers that find extensive applications in the packaging industry. Polypropylene (PP) is one of the key polymers used in the manufacture of BOPP films and is a derivative of petroleum. One of the primary factors propelling the growth prospects for this market is the rising demand for packaged food in the last few years. Most consumers have become increasingly conscious about the way food products are packaged, and are, therefore, looking for improved and cost-effective methods for food preservation.

The geographical region includes in the BOPP Films for Packaging market reports are: North America, United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia-Pacific, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Europe, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, Central & South America, Brazil, Rest of Central & South America, Middle East & Africa, GCC Countries, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa.


As consumers are continuously changing their purchasing and eating behavior and to store food for months in and even out of the refrigerator are the major factors which are rising the demand of high barrier BOPP film market. These films provide the conditions for a high-barrier layer against gas, moisture, and aromas and the advantage to keep food products fresh for a longer period.High barrier BOPP films are also used for delicate products that require an extended shelf life thereby boosting up the demnad for high barrier bOPP film market. As countries such as Vietnam are foreseeing a change in the consumer perceptions regarding food consumption, a noteworthy number of consumers stress on nutritious food along with suitable packaging solutions that improve the shelf life of the packaged food products. Growing consumer awareness regarding packaging, coupled with a shift in the preference for flexible packaging solutions is anticipated to catapult the development of the global BOPP films for packaging market. BOPP films have even lower density than Polypropylene. The low density leads to higher yield than films of other plastics.

A latest Article about BOPP

Demand for biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) has grown 3.5% per annum over the last five years (to the end of 2019). The industry is worth around US$14 billion, supplying around 8.3 million tonnes last year. But what effect has a year of unprecedented change had on the outlook for BOPP?

This article draws on findings from our latest BOPP Film Global Supply Demand Report.

Slower demand in China had slowed global growth at the start of 2020

Chinese BOPP film demand has been unable to match the pace of new capacity added in China in recent years. Additional capacity has meant increased competition, excess product in the market and rising inventories.

Film demand growth slowed steeply in 2019, with some sources even reporting a slight decline in consumption. In the first half of last year, there was a noticeable reduction in operating rates – an apparent attempt to balance a well-oversupplied market.

As the world’s largest BOPP film market (accounting for almost half of global demand), China’s slowing demand growth has resulted in a slower global growth rate overall, in the last five years to the end of 2019.

About BOPP Films...

 

Biaxially Oriented Film -

Biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film is film stretched in both machine and transverse directions, producing molecular chain orientation in two directions. BOPP film is produced by a tubular process, in which a tubular bubble is inflated, or a tenter frame process, in which a thick extruded sheet is heated to its softening point (not to the melting point) and is mechanically stretched by 300–400%. Stretching in the tenter frame process is usually 4.5:1 in the machine direction and 8.0:1 in the transverse direction, although these ratios are fully adjustable. It is a widely used process, more common than the tubular process, and a glossy, transparent film is produced. Biaxial orientation results in increased toughness, increased stiffness, enhanced clarity, improved oil and grease resistance, and enhanced barrier properties to water vapor and oxygen. Impact resistance, low-temperature impact resistance, and flexcrack resistance are substantially modified. BOPP films are used in food packaging and are replacing cellophane in applications such as snack and tobacco packaging due to favorable properties and low cost (Fortilene Polypropylene Properties, Processing, and Design Manual, 1981; Goddard, 1993).

Oriented films can be used as heat-shrinkable films in shrink-wrap applications or can be heat set to provide dimensional stability. Heat sealing is difficult in BOPP films, but can be made easier by either coating the film after processing with a heat-sealable material (such as polyvinylidene chloride) or by coextrusion with one or more copolymers before processing to produce layers of film. Copolymers used in sealing layers must have high gloss and clarity and should have low sealing temperatures to prevent distortion of the oriented polymer during sealing. Random copolymers containing 3–7% ethylene are often used as sealing layers; the lower melting point (<132°C; <270°F) results in a 30% increase in line speeds, and they can be recycled with no significant loss of strength or clarity. Coating or coextrusion increases the barrier properties of BOPP film, decreasing its permeability to gases. Common barrier polymers are ethylene vinyl alcohol, polyvinylidene chloride, and polyamide; five or more layers may be coextruded or laminated, or the barrier polymer can be dispersed in the matrix polymer (Fortilene Polypropylene Properties, Processing, and Design Manual, 1981; Goddard, 1993; Polymers in Contact with Food, 1991).