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Basic Knowledge

“SoarnoL™” is the trade name for ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) resin manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical. Polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polystyrene, polyester and other materials can be combined to form multilayer films, sheets, bottles, tubes, pipes and so on. Using SoarnoL™ with these molded materials creates a product with excellent gas barrier properties, solvent barrier properties and fragrance preservation properties, suitable for use in a wide array of packaging products that include food packaging, medical packaging, cosmetic packaging, and agrochemical containers.

Gas barrier properties, solvent resistance, oil resistance, solvent barrier properties, high transparency, weatherability, fragrance preservation, printability, high luster, environmental preservation performance, and others.

SoarnoL™ is manufactured by polymerizing vinyl acetate monomer and ethylene monomer and hydrolyzing the resulting poly-(ethylene-vinyl acetate).

SoarnoL™ is a random copolymer of ethylene and vinyl alcohol.

Yes, depending on the grade. Customers may choose grades that either include or do not include lubricants.

“MFR” stands for “melt flow rate” and indicates the quantity of resin that flows out from a cylinder during a ten-minute period at a prescribed temperature and load. A high MFR value indicates a low melt viscosity.

SoarnoL™ complies with the food law of various countries.
For more information, please contact Soarus.

Regulatory status of SoarnoL™


Basic Properties / Barrier Properties

SoarnoL™ film has extremely high transparency.

Barrier properties decrease as the humidity increases. Normally SoarnoL™ is used in a multilayer configuration with other resins having good moisture barrier properties.

Relative humidity and oxygen permeability

There is an inverse relationship between thickness and the quantity of transmitted gas. As the thickness increases, the barrier properties become high as well.

Many factors come into play when determining thickness required, such as shelf life, SoarnoL™ grade type, storage conditions, etc. Please contact us for assistance in making this determination. We can provide calculations using Mitsubishi Chemical’s proprietary simulation program, GTR2010. Contact Us


Grade

You should select the grade of SoarnoL™ by the required barrier properties and the processing method to be used. For example, grades with a low ethylene content (for example, 29 mol%) offer better barrier properties at normal humidity than the grades with a high ethylene content (for example, 44 mol%). On the other hand, grades with a high ethylene content have a lower melting point than those with a low ethylene content and can generally be molded easily even at low processing temperatures. Other selection criteria include the melt flow rate (MFR). You should select the ideal MFR for the fabrication conditions.


Molding and Film Processing

Recommended screws for SoarnoL™ have LD=24-30 and CR=3-3.5. Temperature conditions are generally 190-230deg C(374-446deg F).
In order to prevent thermal decomposition, please make sure the temperature does not exceed 250deg C(482deg F). For more information, see the Processing Technique page.

General advice on processing

You should avoid using rapid compression type screws such as those used for nylon. There should be at least four turns in the compression zone; this number will vary slightly depending on the L/D and compression ratio. Trouble is particularly likely to occur on high revolution extruders equipped with rapid compression type screws with 1 – 3 turns in the compression zone. The recommended percentage of turns in each zone should be as follows: 30-40 % in the feed zone, 20-25 % in the compression zone and 35-50 % in the metering zone.

General advice on processing

Through our sister company, MSI Technology L.L.C., we can help you select the proper adhesive resin for your applications. (MSI Technology markets Plexar® tie layer adhesive produced by LyondellBasell.) For details, contact your Soarus’ representative.