Dow launches barrier adhesive for flexible packaging

During the press briefing on Day One of Interpack, Jaroslaw Jelinek, EMEA Marketing Manager for Adhesives at Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics, said, “Adcotetm L86-500 barrier adhesive enables the replacement of PET, metallised and aluminium-based packaging structures with an all-polyolefin solution which is easily recyclable in existing processes.”

The new adhesive is Dow’s response to the increasing demand to raise the sustainability bar of packaging in the food and beverage industries. Jelinek said, “With our latest innovation we meet the demand of flexible packaging industry players which are looking for more sustainable and effective medium barrier packaging.”

According to Dow, the new adhesive is designed for medium barrier applications, however, it can provide additional protection against oxygen and moisture. “The adhesive can help enable the production of a packaging that is recyclable in standard recycling schemes, resource efficient and has the same shelf-life performance as PET-based packaging,” added Jelinek.

Dow has showcased all-polyolefin packages enabled by the new adhesive at Interpack 2017 for aroma- and barrier-sensitive applications, such as coffee and cereal pouches, snack and dry pet food packs as well as wet wipes packages.

Dow claims that when used with selected existing barrier film products, the new adhesive can help provide downgauging and layer simplification opportunities, while improving the flex-crack resistance of metallised or aluminium-containing structures.

“When replacing the PET with polyolefin, the amount of heat that could be applied at packaging lines in order to seal the pouch was decreased. Here, Affinity Polyolefin Elastomers from Dow were used as they can help enable sealing at lower temperatures, avoiding damage to the outside polypropylene layer, ensuring integrity of the package,” said Daniele Vinci, EMEA application technology leader for adhesives at Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics.