A common trend in the film industry is the constant competition and displacement of incumbent materials. Whether you have plastic films replacing paper or plastic film trying to disrupt glass, the materials battle is relentless. That is why there is no better time to discuss aluminum foil and plastic films. Especially since there is an even larger geopolitical and economic conflict taking place over the trade of aluminum.

Over the past 7 years the U.S. has seen a large volume increase in aluminum foil imports from China. The impact on U.S. producers has been substantial. In November the Commerce Department imposed aluminum foil anti-dumping duties on China imports ranging from 96% and as high as 162%. This month the U.S. Commerce Department took it a step further and recommended a 23.6% duty on aluminum from a specific group of countries and quota limit on the rest of the world.

Before examining the relationship between films and foils, let’s look at some of the properties of aluminum foil. Aluminum foil has performance characteristics that make it an ideal material across applications. Other than being highly conductive, aluminum foil has superior oxygen barrier and moisture barrier properties.

These critical properties make foil the preferred material for various packaging applications from food packaging to lidding film for pharmaceutical drugs. Aluminum foil is also used for battery packaging material, which is made up of an aluminum laminate for lithium ion batteries. Aluminum foil is a key component in another part of lithium ion batteries, the current collector in the battery. This is a small snapshot of aluminum foil applications

As the U.S. continues the trade skirmish with China, how will U.S. manufacturers that rely on aluminum foil respond to supply shortages and price increases? A possible answer could come from the film industry.

Film has already replaced some traditional packaging that relied on aluminum foil. When you open a bag of chips you can see aluminum metallized film on the inside because of the moisture and oxygen barrier properties of aluminum. The more recent trend in food packaging is the demand from customers to be able to see the product they are buying. The film industry found a solution that can provide similar properties to aluminum foil and give the consumer the buying experience it demands. How is this done? The main technology driving clear barrier films is achieved through aluminum oxide coatings, silica, and mica coatings.

These are just a few examples of how film has replaced traditional aluminum foil. With a shortage of supply and an increase in prices, what is the next application that could be replaced by a film or laminated film solution?

The Functional Film Blog sat down with members of DUNMORE’s product development and technical team. We asked questions related to the past, present, and future of film technology and how film materials have played a disruptive role. The following interview is with DUNMORE’s VP of Technology.

What trends in film technology and chemistries excites you about working on new projects?

From a new film technology perspective, advances being made in fluorinated films are exciting.  Improvements are being made in the polymers and processing of these films, which gives you better clarity and other physical properties. These new characteristics are particularly important for greater utilization of materials such as ETFE films for the building and architectural market.

 On the chemistry side, there is so much going on. I am seeing new trends in functional materials that are reactive with the environment or some outside stimulus. An example would be new smart coatings that can react and absorb CO2, and would give you an indication that the CO2 level is too high. There are also self cleaning materials out there now where the combination of sunlight and rain will clean you windows or other surfaces. There is a lot of opportunity for this type of functionality, which is based on nanoparticle materials.

Smart coatings can be used not only in building applications or interior applications, but also in medical applications. Smart coatings in conjunction with wearable sensors that can be connected wirelessly to the internet, can be given to a doctor for monitoring. If you have an event, you will be immediately sent to a hospital or a physician. The technology could also be used to automatically monitor blood sugar levels or other specific health monitoring applications. The possibilities with new coatings and films in these areas are limitless.

The Functional Film Blog sat down with members of DUNMORE’s product development and technical team. We asked questions related to the past, present, and future of film technology and how film materials have played a disruptive role. The following interview is with DUNMORE’s VP of Technology.

Advancements in plastics, metals, and glass have evolved significantly over the past 25 years. Where do you see film materials being used more frequently in the future?

Printed Electronic Materials

There is a lot of development and technology evaluation going on in the electronics market. More specifically, you are seeing resources going into printed electronic materials used for wearable electronics, IoT devices, medical sensors and more. In the future I think there is going to be an increase in different types of plastic films used as base substrates for printed electronic materials. In addition to being light weight, plastic films will help reduce manufacturing costs and will open up design possibilities that will allow you to incorporate electronics into things that are currently not possible.

In order for this to occur, adhesion promoting primer coatings enable manufacturers to produce laminates made of different substrates. New primers and print treated films support the development of stretchable, wearable, printed electronic technologies. In addition, films that can conform with the fabric that you are applying the electronics need to be stretchable and washable.

Films for Architectural Applications

We are also seeing more applications for plastic films used in the building / construction and architectural markets. Films will be used to replace glass, shade applications, and for energy reduction. The use of film for architectural applications is already taking place in Europe. You are just starting to see a greater adoption of architectural films in the United States. Films such as ETFE incorporate coatings that are IR reflective and also reduces the UV radiation inside buildings. These materials help protect the inside of buildings and reduces fading of interior materials.

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The Functional Film Blog sat down with members of DUNMORE’s product development and technical team. We asked questions related to the past, present, and future of film technology and how film materials have played a disruptive role. The following interview is with DUNMORE’s VP of Technology.

Advancements in plastics, metals, and glass have evolved significantly over the past 25 years. Can you think of an example where plastic film disrupted a market?

1. The Music Industry

If we go way back, we can certainly look at some key examples. First, we can look at how music was recorded and listened to. Vinyl records were the incumbent technology for many years. Everything was on vinyl, and all the music was pressed on vinyl. Then, a new plastic film technology became available, which played a key role in the creation of 8 tracks and cassette tapes. That was a case where plastic films took market share away from the incumbent technology. Things have continued to evolve along this path ever since.

2. Packaging

Another example would be the use of metalized films as a replacement for foils in many applications, particularly in packaging. While you cannot get the same barrier with metalized film, it is still more than sufficient for most applications. You can metalize film or laminate metallized films on top of other materials to replace foil.

3. The Label Industry

Another way to look at how foils have changed over time is to consider that thicker foils, such as a plate, were originally used in the label industry for asset tags. The metal tags went onto original equipment as a metal stamp. Over the years they have been replaced with plastic films, metalized films that have a brushed effect, or matte films that have been metallized. It provides you the same look as the original metal stamp plate but at a much lower cost. In addition, the use of film labels made printing easier and improved the efficiency of the attachment process.

4. Holiday Decor

If we look even further back, in the 1800’s Christmas tinsel was originally made of silver. Of course, this was very expensive and the silver tarnished. Lead was initially used as a replacement because it did not tarnish, but lead, of course, was eventually eliminated over lead poison concerns. The use of metallized films was a much better alternative, which is why it is so popular today. In addition to being safer, it looks better, offers a greater variety of colors, costs less money, and is easier to process.

5. Would You Like Paper or Plastic?

Paper bags are another example of a product that was disrupted by plastic films. The plastic bag market has almost completely overtaken paper bags used in supermarkets. It has helped reduce cost and reduced the amount of space needed for storage of bags. There is some discussion on whether this is good from an environmental perspective, but no matter how you look at it, plastic bags are far more ubiquitous than any other type of bag.

6. The Solar Industry

More recently, the backsheets on photovoltaic modules disrupted the solar market. Glass was the incumbent material, which has since been replaced with plastic films. Specifically, the backsheet material is made up of laminates of different types of film and foils. It reduces the overall weight, helps reduce the cost, and makes the final installation process much easier. In some PV module designs, glass is being replaced with fluorinated films on the top surface.

The Functional Film Blog sat down with members of DUNMORE’s product development and technical team. We asked questions related to the past, present, and future of film technology and how film materials have played a disruptive role. The following interview is with DUNMORE’s lead research scientist.

Where do you see film materials being used more frequently in the future?

There are many areas that will adapt film materials to reduce weight. You see films being used more and more for housing and construction. They have been used before, but it is increasing more and more. Glass and metal tend to be heavy, so if you can get similar durability by substituting fully or part of the structure with plastic, that definitely offers an advantage.

In the automobile industry there is a trend toward using lighter weight composites. Films are used as the skin material or the support material in composite structures. The demand to get better mileage out of a vehicle means automobile manufactures will have to reduce their weight and increase the use of composites.

What trends in film technology/chemistries excites you about working on new projects?

Printed electronics springs to my mind. The technology is still in the infancy stage, but I could see where other technologies and new applications utilize printed electronics in the next few years. There is also a new material that was invented relatively recently; Graphene, which is another form of carbon would have an application in printed electronics.

Are there applications for film technology not being used today that could benefit from film materials?

Edible films have been discussed before, materials like starch or gelatin and even fruits and vegetables can be made into a film. Edible films applied as the outer wrapping or primary packaging for food items could reduce both industrial and food waste. Moreover, these films can be used during food preparation to enhance flavor.

The Functional Film Blog sat down with members of DUNMORE’s product development and technical team. We asked questions related to the past, present, and future of film technology and how film materials have played a disruptive role. The following interview is with DUNMORE’s lead research scientist.

Advancements in plastics, metals, and glass have significantly evolved over the past 25 years. Can you think of an example where a plastic film substrate disrupted a market and incumbent material?

A good example is the multi film and foil laminate to replace metal cans. The US military was the first one to adopt that technology back in the 1950’s, with the military’s Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) packages. The new packaging material reduced the weight that the soldiers had to carry, and eliminated the can taste to the food.

The packaging was more technically advanced than your regular chip packaging with the combination of different films and foil to give the required properties. You have a 4 ply or 3 ply laminate combination of polyester, nylon, aluminum foil, and polypropylene. The polyester gives durability, and the nylon or polyamide gives puncture resistance. The aluminum foil is an effective barrier against oxygen, moisture, and microbes. Also, the polypropylene film is heat sealable and makes it inert to aggressive food materials. That was a specific application for the military, but later on, particularly in Asian countries like China and Japan, it has been the primary way to preserve food instead of using metal cans.

What kind of impact did the film technology have on a different market application?

Identical chemistry or structure for packaging is used to make lithium ion batteries. Previously, metal was used for regular batteries. By switching over to a plastic foil laminate you can pack in more energy, per unit volume than you can with metal. The chemistry is similar and all of the materials are pretty stable especially the inner layer of the polypropylene, which is quite inert to the very aggressive lithium ion chemistry.

As a result, the weight and dimensions of lithium ion batteries have been reduced. It has revolutionized the development and evolution of your electronic devices, such as phones and laptops.

Safety. Comfort. Speed. When you go on a plane, you expect the incorporation of all three elements during your flight. However, the only way this happens is from specialized films that protect the plane, make them lighter and more aerodynamic, and provide you with the entertainment that makes your travel time more enjoyable.

However, what makes this all the more impressive is that you’ve probably never noticed the crucial role films play in air travel. Let’s start with the outside of the plane, and this is where film plays a key role in ensuring your safety. During a flight, lightning strikes can pose serious safety issues to the occupants of the plane. This can cause numerous life-safety issues, such as a spark near the fuel tank or for lightning to disrupt the complex electrical systems.

When airplanes were predominantly made of aluminum, this was not an issue, because aluminum acts like a conductive shield, which causes electricity to harmlessly enter and exit the exterior of the plane. Today’s airplanes are made of more lightweight composite materials to decrease the plane’s overall weight and improve fuel efficiency. The trade-off is new planes no longer have built-in conductive shielding.

To solve this engineering problem, the exterior composite parts are integrated with a unique surfacing film. This film, which is on the outer skin of the plane, has a fine foil or lightweight metal mesh embedded into it, which acts as a conductive shield. This is an example of how film technology solved an engineering problem and helped develop a safer and lighter plane.

There are two areas within the interior of the plane where film plays a prominent role. Like the exterior of the plane, the interior walls are made of a composite, laminate system. This film is lightweight and incredibly durable, since it needs to hold up to heavy use on a daily basis. Another area of the interior of the plane that utilizes film, but is often overlooked by passengers, is the touch-screen display on the back of every headrest. Often times, the touch-screen display is constructed of both film and glass materials.

Looking at the future of film technology in air travel, new airplane concepts will integrate display technology within the interior walls of the plane. The display screens, which require flexible film technology, will stretch out along the entire fuselage. The touch screen technology needed for future airplane designs will also utilize film as a protective, encapsulation layer, along with a functional polymeric film substrate that will act as the conductive layer of the touch-screen wall.

The future design of airplanes and the flight experience will look dramatically different within the next decade, and film technology will play an important role in that revolution.

Safety. Comfort. Speed. You can thank film for your enhanced flight experience.

As you walk down the aisle of your local retail store, pharmacy, or supermarket, you are bombarded with options. It makes what should be a simple task – the purchase of goods and services – more complex.

The way companies design product packaging is just one of many techniques used to influence a consumer’s decision-making process. Done right, it will engage and entice multiple senses. While the sight, sound, taste, or smell of a product may come top-of-mind when you consider what senses attract shoppers to products, touch may be the most overlooked – and most important – in the subconscious influence of consumers.

Touch is an important element used by packaging designers, but rarely understood by the consumer. The tactile element of packaging is important because we often like to handle a product before purchasing it. Research has shown that many unplanned purchases are the result of other senses such as touch. The more you handle the product, the greater chance you will purchase it. When you pick up a product, you are most likely feeling the package and the packaging material, which has been designed by a team engineers.

Consider the concept of soft-touch, a type of film coating that is then converted into flexible packaging. By adding soft-touch coatings to the packaging film, it creates a subconscious emotional reaction, making the product feel more valuable. Consequently, the consumer is more willing to pay a premium for the item. This technique has been successful for personal care products, as companies look for new films, laminates, and chemistries to differentiate packaging.

Another method to create a tactile experience is to create a raised surface on packages and labels. The traditional method used to create a raised surface is embossing packaging film and label film. It is a technique that is widely used in the wine and spirits industry, and is often used for high end products. Another way to produce a raised surface is accomplished through the use of raised tactile coatings on packaging film, which are often called Hi Rise coatings or profile coatings. These coatings applied to packaging film simulate embossing, which is a more cost effective solution.

As you go about your consumer shopping, keep an eye out for packaging that seems new or innovative. Be sure to note that the science of making products more appealing to touch continues; incorporating new chemistries, new methods, and new sensations to our everyday goods and services.

Summertime is the busiest vacation period of the year. Now is the time to enjoy the warmth of the summer before we return to normalcy in the fall. If you live on the U.S. East Coast there’s a high probability of a beach or mountain getaway. No matter where you decide to go this summer, chances are engineered films will play a crucial role in your travels.

If you are heading to the beach or the mountains, there is a good chance a cooler will be part of your getaway. Many of the soft coolers on the market use various film materials. The films and foils used in today’s soft coolers are based on reflective technology that’s also found in building insulation. Some soft thermal coolers are also constructed with multi-layer films that integrates Aerogel, which is synthetic ultra-light material with low density and low thermal conductivity properties. Coolers need to have a high R value and a moisture barrier to perform effectively.

Taking a look inside the cooler, there’s the obvious pouches used for drinks and snacks that overtly rely on film and foil materials, but there is also the more subtle by design, no-label look seen on beer bottles. The no-label look is made possible by engineered film and is slightly more complex than one might imagine. For the label to work, the film is engineered with a durable, clear, printable coating on the front, and a robust adhesive on the back. The label needs to be strong enough to withstand wide temperature fluctuations and being submerged in water for prolonged periods. From the outside looking in, it’s easy to think, why would someone spend that much time on something as simple as a label when the product should be the main focus. In reality, packaging and labels play an integral role in differentiating a manufacturer’s product. In most cases, the product packaging and label are more expensive than the product itself. After all, there’s a reason the packaging industry is valued at $145 billion and growing.

In addition to protecting your food when you on the beach or camping, it is also important to protect yourself from the sun. Many people use sunscreen as the first line of defense against harmful UV rays. With so many sunscreen options, the challenge becomes choosing the right one. That is why sunscreen packaging engineers work tirelessly to create a an aesthetically pleasing, yet functional package that will influence the consumer’s buying decision. Packaging designers often choose brilliant colors and metallized films to stand out from the crowd. Some of the materials used for packaging require complex laminations to meet the high visual requirements or other functional requirements. In cases when high barrier is paramount, foil can be used in the construction. Typically, laminated between PET or PE film, the foil provides an excellent oxygen and moisture barrier, while the film provides printability or tactile feel properties.

The second line of defense against the sun are beach umbrellas and shade tents. The material used in shade tents are also used in your standard camping tent if you are mountain bound. The common canvas material has been replaced by film materials such as PVC, nylon, polyester, and scrim material. These materials are often laminated together to provide a light-weight, water resistant, and tear resistant solution.

Enjoy your time off this summer and remember to relax and make new experiences with the people you care about. Don’t forget your sunscreen and remember that that no matter where you go in the world for vacation, film plays an important role.

In our home we all want a safe and comfortable place to live, while feeling connected to outside. This is primarily done through the design and use of windows. Can you imagine a home without windows? It feels dark and confining, like a bomb shelter. The safety the dwelling provides can quickly turn into an oppressive experience without a connection to the outside. Windows create the necessary link to the world around us. In order to understand the role films play in windows, we must first look at the origins and evolution of the window.

Windows started out as a hole or slit in the wall of a home. Materials such as cloth, animal hide, and wood were originally used to cover these early windows. While this was crude, it still served the same purpose as today: connecting us to the outside, controlling the light coming into our home, manipulating the internal climate, and providing an insulation barrier. This was especially important when homes did not have electricity to power lights and air conditioners. Then came the use of glass in windows, which has its origins during the Roman times. Fast forward, our large scale windows only became possible once we were able to industrialize the glass making process.

To understand the present it is important to look at the past, and how people were using various types of film and fabric to protect and allow light into their homes. What was once animal hide is now more sophisticated. Today’s window coverings can control the amount of light entering the home from 80% to total blackout. Common window treatments we see in the home include blinds, drapes, and shades, which all incorporate film into their products. Light filtering is achieved by incorporating a metallized film into the shade structure. Other modern methods to improve energy efficiency include reflective or UV blocking films integrated into window systems and argon gas captured between window panes.

As technology continues to play a disruptive role in our lives, it is also changing the window industry as we know it. Instead of having a drape or blind, we are starting to see glass windows that can be directly controlled and manipulated through electricity. These smart windows incorporate a conductive film that incorporates a nano coating. Depending on the voltage that flows through the window, the nanoparticles will change their orientation, which regulates the tint of the window. Think of it as a dimmer for your window.

In addition to smart windows, we are beginning to see solar cells being integrated into windows. Work is being done to develop transparent solar cells that can be combined into window systems. Once again, film will be an important component in the development of this new technology. Not only will you be able to harness the sun’s energy in your home, but large skyscrapers that absorb large amounts of UV energy will now be able to harness the sun’s energy to power the building.

Whether you have a traditional blind or you decide to be an early adapter of the new high-tech smart windows, the future looks bright for windows.