ADDITIVES | FILM
Right: Void Technologies and Berry Global
launched an all-PE film designed for recycle-ready pet-food packaging using VO+ technology
Voiding agents Void Technologies offers its patented VO+ voiding technology additive as a masterbatch to create nano- and micro-scale air pockets in machine direction orientation (MDO) or biaxially oriented blown or cast films. The voids reduce density, increase opacity, and improve yield, tensile strength and puncture resistance. The company says the technology can be used in polyolefins and polyesters. So far, it has been most developed in polyethylene films, where it can be used to make opaque, all-PE packaging in compliance with food contact standards. PE films made with this technology can be an alternative to pearlized BOPP. The VO+
achieved with calcium carbonate cavitation agents or with titanium dioxide pigments. In December 2024, Void
IMAGE: BERRY/VOID
Technologies and Berry Global launched an all-PE film designed for recycle-ready pet-food packaging using VO+ technology. “Pet food applications present unique challenges due to demanding physical and organoleptic requirements, and this highlights the individual capabilities of both Berry and VOID, but more importantly, the power of our combined expertise,” said Caleb Triplett, Berry’s Director of Product Management, Flexible Packaging.
As manufacturers move to monomaterial PE 1300 Series Voiding Agent has
achieved recyclability certifications from Europe’s RecyClass and the US Association of Plastics Recyclers that indicate its compatibility in PE film recycling streams. Void Technologies partnered with film producer
Charter Next Generation (CNG) to introduce recycle-ready cavitated PE films for flow wrap and confectionery applications, the companies announced in early 2024. The companies said that the MDO PE films created a combination of low density and high opacity that could not be
packaging films that eliminate separate materials used as barrier layers, alternative ways to improve barrier become more important. Milliken’s latest Ultraguard 2.0 masterbatch improves barrier performance in HDPE by up to 70%, the company reports. The company says that the additive enables “structural realignment” that slows transmission of oxygen, moisture and other permeants. Applications include cereal liner film and flexible pouches.
PFAS response Plastic additives are regulated, but some types of additives have been in the spotlight with calls for increased regulation or even bans. In particular, per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are facing increasing restrictions. The fluoropolymer-based processing aids used in some film applications to prevent problems such as melt fracture or die-lip buildup during processing are set to be classified as PFAS. As a result, several additive suppliers and masterbatch producers have introduced PFAS-free processing aids as alternatives (see Compounding World April 2024). Most recently, Clariant launched the AddWorks
Critical shear rate Source: Clariant
18 COMPOUNDING WORLD | January/February 2025
PPA line of PFAS-free processing aids for polyolefin films. The additives are also free of silicone or siloxane, and have high thermal stability and low migration tendencies, the company reports. The additives are currently targeted for LLDPE blown films for packaging and agriculture, and they may also be useful in cast films. Clariant plans to create several products in the product range that are specific to certain applications and regions. For example, AddWorks PPA 122 G, a processing aid masterbatch for polyolefin film extrusion that the
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