What is Metalized Pet Film and Why Do We Use Them?

Metallised PET film exhibits robust mechanical properties, making it a reliable material for various applications. It offers good tensile strength, tear resistance, and dimensional stability. These properties make it suitable for applications that require strength and durability. The film is capable of withstanding external forces without easily tearing or deforming.

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This makes it an ideal choice for packaging, where it can protect the contents inside. Additionally, the film's dimensional stability ensures that it maintains its shape and size even under different environmental conditions.

Metallised PET film offers excellent barrier properties against moisture, gases, and odours, making it an ideal choice for various packaging applications. The metal layer in the film acts as a barrier, preventing the transmission of these substances through the film.

This is particularly important in packaging where protection against moisture and oxygen is crucial. metallised PET film provides a reliable and effective solution for maintaining the freshness and quality of packaged products. It ensures that moisture and gases cannot penetrate the film, keeping the contents safe and preserving their shelf life.

The barrier properties of metallised PET film also help prevent odours from escaping or entering the packaging, ensuring that the product remains odour-free.

You will find that metallised PET film offers impressive thermal properties. This versatile material has good thermal stability, allowing it to withstand high temperatures without deformation. Additionally, it has low thermal conductivity, making it suitable for applications that require insulation properties.

Met PET film can be laminated with other materials to further enhance its thermal properties. These thermal characteristics make metallised PET film ideal for various industries. It can be used in packaging applications to provide efficient thermal insulation to products.

With its ability to regulate heat and light transmission, metallised PET film is also used in solar control applications.

When comparing metallised PET film and aluminium foil, you'll find differences in gas tightness, tear resistance, flexibility, weight, corrosion sensitivity, and wrinkle-proneness. metallised PET film is less gas-tight than aluminium foil, but it offers better tear resistance, and flexibility, and is lighter in weight.

It is also less prone to corrosion and wrinkles compared to pure aluminium foil. While aluminium foil provides a higher level of gas-tightness, metallised PET film compensates for its other properties. The tear resistance of metallised PET film makes it more durable, and its flexibility allows for easier handling and wrapping. Additionally, the lighter weight of metallised PET film can be advantageous in certain applications.

So, when choosing between the two, consider the specific requirements of your project to determine which material is the best fit.

Now let's explore the applications and uses of metallised PET film. In the packaging industry, metallised PET film is widely used for flexible packaging, labels, and pouches due to its attractive appearance and excellent barrier properties.

Whereas, in the electronics industry, it finds applications in flexible printed circuits, electromagnetic shielding, and insulation, thanks to its reflectivity and low transmittance properties.

Utilising its reflective surface and excellent barrier properties, metallised PET film finds extensive application in the packaging industry for flexible packaging, labels, and pouches. The reflective surface of the film adds an attractive and premium appearance to the packaging, making it eye-catching to consumers. Additionally, the metallised PET film provides excellent barrier properties, protecting the contents from moisture, gases, and UV radiation.

This ensures that the packaged products remain fresh and protected throughout their shelf life. The film's ability to block out UV radiation also helps in preserving the quality and colour of the packaged products. Furthermore, the film's flexibility allows for easy customisation and shaping, making it suitable for various packaging formats.

Metallised PET film is extensively utilised in the electronics industry for various applications and uses. Its high reflectivity and low transmittance properties make it suitable for flexible printed circuits, electromagnetic shielding, and insulation. In flexible printed circuits, the film provides a flexible and lightweight substrate for electronic components. It also offers excellent insulation properties, protecting the circuit from external factors.

Additionally, metallised PET film is used for electromagnetic shielding, preventing interference and maintaining signal integrity. Its reflective properties make it ideal for reflective insulation and light control in electronic devices. The film's strength, flexibility, and thermal stability contribute to efficient performance and protection for electronic components. With its unique properties, metallised PET film continues to find new applications in the electronics industry, driving innovation and sustainability

One reason metallised PET film is commonly used in packaging is that it offers excellent barrier properties. The metal layer on the film's surface provides a strong barrier against moisture, gases, and odours, ensuring that the contents of the packaging remain fresh and protected.

For more information, please visit Metalized Pet Film.

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Additionally, metallised PET film is lightweight and flexible, making it easy to handle and package various products. Its tear resistance and dimensional stability further contribute to its suitability for packaging applications. Moreover, the film's high reflectivity and low transmittance properties enhance the visual appeal of the packaging, making it eye-catching and attractive to consumers.

Metallised PET film is also a cost-effective and more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional packaging materials, making it a popular choice for manufacturers in the industry.

When selecting metallised PET film for packaging, you should consider several factors to ensure that it meets the specific requirements and provides the desired level of barrier protection for your product.

First, consider the sensitivity of your product to light, oxygen, and moisture. Determine if it requires a high-barrier film to protect it effectively. Next, consider the type of packaging equipment you will be using. Make sure the film is compatible with your equipment and can be processed efficiently.

Additionally, think about the desired level of barrier protection. Different films offer varying levels of protection, so choose one that suits your product's needs. Lastly, consider the storage and handling requirements of the film to maintain its quality and effectiveness. By considering these factors, you can select the right metallised PET film for your packaging needs.

To ensure the sustainability of metallised PET film, it is crucial to address its environmental impact and implement effective recycling practices. While metallised PET film can be recycled, the process is more complex due to the presence of the metal coating.

Proper recycling infrastructure and procedures are required to separate the metal layer from the film for efficient recycling. Without proper recycling practices, metallised PET film can contribute to waste and pollution.

However, when recycled correctly, metallised PET film is considered a sustainable option compared to other film materials.

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Polymer film coated with a layer of metal

Metallised films (or metallized films) are polymer films coated with a thin layer of metal, usually aluminium. They offer the glossy metallic appearance of an aluminium foil at a reduced weight and cost. Metallised films are widely used for decorative purposes and food packaging, and also for specialty applications including insulation and electronics.

Manufacture

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Metallisation is performed using a physical vapor deposition process. Aluminium is the most common metal used for deposition, but other metals such as nickel and chromium are also used. The metal is heated and evaporated under vacuum. This condenses on the cold polymer film, which is unwound near the metal vapour source. This coating is much thinner than a metal foil could be made, in the range of 0.5 micrometres.[1] This coating will not fade or discolour over time. While oriented polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are the most common films used for metallisation, nylon, polyethylene and cast polypropylene are also used.[2]

Properties

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Metallised films have a reflective silvery surface similar to aluminium foil and are highly flammable. The coating also reduces the permeability of the film to light, water and oxygen. The properties of the film remain, such as higher toughness, the ability to be heat sealed, and a lower density at a lower cost than an aluminium foil. This gives metallised films some advantages over aluminium foil and aluminium foil laminates. It was once thought that metallised films would become a replacement for aluminium foil laminates, but current films still cannot match the barrier properties of foil. Some very high barrier metallised films are available using EVOH, but are not yet cost effective against foil laminates.[3]

Comparison of Metallised PET and aluminium foil Moisture (g/m2·day) Oxygen (mL/m2·day) UV light (%transmittance) PET film, 12.7 μm[1] 31 465 91 Metallised PET[1] 0.8 1.2 5 Aluminium foil 6 μm[4] 0 0 0

Uses

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Decoration

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Metallised films were first used for decorative purposes as Christmas tinsel,[1] and continue to be used for items such as wrappers, ribbons, and glitter. Metallic helium-filled novelty balloons given as gifts are made of metallised BoPET and often called Mylar balloons commercially.

Packaging

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Both metallised PET and PP have replaced foil laminates for products such as snack foods, coffee and candy, which do not require the superior barrier of aluminium foil. Metallised nylon and polyethylene are used in the meat export market. The controlled permeation extends shelf life.

Metallised films are used as a susceptor for cooking in microwave ovens.[5] An example is a microwave popcorn bag.

Many food items are also packaged using metallised films for appearance only, as these produce a package with greater sparkle when compared to competing products that use printed paper or polymer films.

Insulation

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Metallised PET films are used in NASA spacesuits to reflect heat radiation, keeping astronauts warm, and in ″proximity suits″ used by firefighters for protection from the high amount of heat released from fuel fires. Aluminized emergency blankets ("space blankets") are also used to conserve a shock victim's body heat. MPET has been used as an antistatic container for other heat and sound insulating materials used in aircraft, to prevent the insulation from leaking into the passenger cabin, but is not itself the insulator in that use. Burning MPET insulation was identified as a cause of the crash of Swissair Flight 111 in that killed 229 people, leading to new recommendations on its use in airliners.

Electronics

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Metallised films are used as a dielectric in the manufacture of a type of capacitor used in electronic circuits,[6] and as a material in some types of antistatic bags.

For more Heat Sealable Pet Filminformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

See also

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• Carbon dioxide transmission rate
• Cutting stock problem
• Insulated shipping container
• Moisture vapour transmission rate
• Permeation
• Popcorn bag
• Oxygen transmission rate
• Biaxially-oriented PET film
• Sputter deposition
• Vacuum deposition

References

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Further reading

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