Clear PET for Superior Clarity
Recent innovations in the PET market, supported by heating element technologies such as superior band and cartridge heaters, has seen the launch of a new high performance oxygen barrier PET suitable for monolayer applications, such as smoothies, that require very high levels of clarity.
PET packaging for the food and beverage market is a fast developing sector of the market and has become the material of choice over glass and cans for a number of reasons in that it is lightweight, shatterproof, recloseable and, perhaps most importantly in today’s increasingly regulated area of reducing packaging waste, is completely recyclable.
PET in general terms is poor at keeping oxygen from permeating the container, thus reducing the life of products such as juices and flavoured water. Additionally, oxygen has a detrimental effect on a products flavour, colour and, in some cases, the level of vitamins.
The composite make-up of the new barrier resin contains no polyamide or nitrogen, which can produce a haze result in normal resin formulations, and contains increased oxygen scavenging capabilities of previous options. Furthermore, it also has the added advantages of heightened recycling performance and is far less prone to yellowing during the recycling process, rendering it suitable for applications other than coloured.
The new resin is not suitable for packaging of products such as beer, due to it not including a CO² barrier (extended carbonation retention is required in such applications). However, in addition to packaging of products such as juice and water, the new PET will be suitable for the packaging of wine – recent tests have been favourable with no difference detected in the product after a six month period.