polyamide-based

Cast versus blown film

Ted Brink
Contents

film requirements
polyamide characteristics
blown versus cast film technology
conclusions

Page 2 cast versus blown film

Main applications PA-based films

Page 3 cast versus blown film

Food packaging - film requirements

oxygen barrier
moisture barrier
grease and fat resistant
shrink performance
puncture resistance
sealability
printability
transparency

Page 4 cast versus blown film

Main reasons to use polyamide

O2

mechanical strength barrier properties

Page 5 cast versus blown film
Polyamide properties

Melting point H2O permeability O2 permeability

PA-type
[C] [cc/m2/atm/day] [cc/m2/atm/day]

PA66 255 8 12

PA6 220 15 12

PA6.12 215 5 45

PA6.66 195 16 14

PA11 190 4 120

PA12 180 5 190

Page 6 cast versus blown film
 film production

Page 7 cast versus blown film

 blown cast

In spite of significant differences, both

technologies are used for similar applications
Page 8 cast versus blown film
 cast film

Page 9 cast versus blown film

Cast film line

1. Plasticising unit
2. Die
3. Casting station
4. Winder
Page 10 cast versus blown film 5. Automation system
Cast film basics

Page 11 cast versus blown film

Chill roll cooling

efficient cooling
- temperature controlled water or oil

chill roll surface structure

- high gloss or embossed
- influences quenching rate and film surface

Page 12 cast versus blown film

Chill roll temperature

20 40 C for optimum thermoforming

> 80 C for optimum dimensional stability
uniform temperature gradient across the roll
- prevent morphological differences

Page 13 cast versus blown film

 blown film

Page 14 cast versus blown film

Page 15 cast versus blown film
Bubble cooling

cooling medium: air

cooling technologies
- external bubble cooling ambient air or
- internal bubble cooling chilled air

cooling influences:
- output
- film morphology

Page 16 cast versus blown film

External bubble cooling
cooling from the outside
commonly ambient air

Page 17 cast versus blown film

Internal bubble cooling (IBC)
IBC cools the bubble from the inside
cool air injected (5 15 C)
warm air removed ( 75 C)
increased output

Page 18 cast versus blown film

 cast blown

Page 19 cast versus blown film

Blown versus cast film polymer viscosity

blown film:
- requires melt strength high viscosity

cast film:
- less critical medium to even low viscosity

Page 20 cast versus blown film

Blown versus cast film cooling efficiency

cooling medium blown film: air

- air not very efficient cooling medium
- outer bubble cooling cooling efficiency
- inner bubble cooling determines output
cooling medium cast film: chill roll
- cooling by water or oil
- chill roll temperature between 25 and 125 C

Page 21 cast versus blown film

Blown versus cast film film morphology

cooling rate determines morphology

- slow cooling large crystals
- fast cooling smaller crystals (crystals frozen-in)
- high quenching rate film remains (almost) amorphous

Page 22 cast versus blown film

Blown versus cast film film transparency

transparency related to morphology

- slow cooling large crystals more haze
- fast cooling crystals less time to grow higher transparency
- very fast cooling low crystallinity highest transparency

films with low crystallinity

may show postcrystallization

Page 23 cast versus blown film

Blown versus cast film film stiffness

stiffness related to morphology

- slow cooling higher crystallinity higher stiffness
- fast cooling low crystallinity lower stiffness

films with low crystallinity

may show postcrystallization

Page 24 cast versus blown film

Blown versus cast film thermoforming

cast films perform better than blown films

- lower crystallinity easier drawing at lower stress

film morphology
determines thermoforming

Page 25 cast versus blown film

Blown versus cast film curling

curling may occur in nonsymmetrical films

nonsymmetrical films have different polymers
different polymers have different crystallization rate

cause for curling

layer A crystallizes
layer B crystallizes layer B cannot follow
layer A and B liquid layer A follows
A A A
B B B

Page 26 cast versus blown film

Blown versus cast film orientation

difference in MD and TD stretching determines orientation

cast film:
- fixed width
- uniaxial drawdown

blown film:
- more balanced MD TD orientation
- tools: BUR and DDR

Page 27 cast versus blown film

Blown versus cast film process flexibility

cast film:
- die has fixed width
- neck-in
- side trim

blown film:
- adjustable bubble size

Page 28 cast versus blown film

Blown versus cast film gauge uniformity

cast film:
- 2 % independent on film thickness

blown film:
- 10 % for thin films (< 20 m)
- 5 % for thicker films (> 20 m)

Page 29 cast versus blown film

Blown versus cast film waste

cast film:
- start-up ad shut-down waste
- change-over waste waste:
- waste due to side trims
cast film: 5 8 %
blown film: < 5 %
blown film:
- start-up ad shut-down waste
- change-over waste

Page 30 cast versus blown film

Blown versus cast film costs

cast film:
- floor space needed
- higher investment costs

blown film: cast film requires higher

- height needed investment than blown film
- lower investment cost

Page 31 cast versus blown film

Blown versus cast film PA6 versus PA6.66

cast film:
- only PA6 is used

blown film: cast film: PA6

blown film: PA6.66
- PA6.66 used more than PA6
- PA6.66 more transparent than PA6
- PA6.66 shows less curling than PA6
- PA6 blended with PA6I/6T

Page 32 cast versus blown film

Cast versus blown film - overview

Polymer related: Machine related:

required viscosity cooling efficiency
morphology process flexibility
transparency gauge uniformity
stiffness orientation
thermoform performance waste
curling costs

some grey areas

Page 33 cast versus blown film
Cast versus blown film overview contd

Property Cast Blown

Cooling efficiency +++ +
Viscosity required Medium/low High
Transparency +++ +
Thermoforming performance +++ +
Curling in non-symmetrical films Less More
Film orientation More Less
Trim/scrap More Less
Gauge variation Good Medium
Page 34 cast versus blown film
Cast versus blown film - summary

process:
- cast film: higher output
- cast film: better gauge control
- blown film: less floor space and investment
films:
- morphology difference
film crystallinity
due to cooling rate
crystal size
- optical properties
- thermoforming
Page 35 cast versus blown film
 More information and contact

Ted Brink
Email: ted.brink@extrusionist.com
Internet: www.extrusionist.com
Tel.: +31 651109899
Skype: ted.brink

Page 36 cast versus blown film