Investigation of block copolymer effect on the physical and mechanical properties of retort cast polypropylene (RCPP) for food packaging film

Shellahmutto, Sakthivel (2018) Investigation of block copolymer effect on the physical and mechanical properties of retort cast polypropylene (RCPP) for food packaging film. Project Report. Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Melaka, Malaysia. (Submitted)

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Abstract

The aim of this research is to analyze the block copolymer versus homopolymer effect on the physical and mechanical properties and to investigate the film morphology of cast polypropylene (CPP) and retort cast polypropylene (RCPP) for food packaging film. The CPP and RCPP films are also known as multilayer films since it’s made up of three layers. About six physical and mechanical testing (haze, drop, surface roughness, coefficient of friction, heat seal and tensile) and four characterization method (SEM, DSC, XRD and FTIR) have been used in this comparison study. This comparison study is conducted to improve the impact energy performances of food packaging film since low temperature brittleness is the major problem with the homopolymer CPP films. This low temperature brittleness attributed due to the nature of high crystallinity in a homopolymer PP structure which results in poor impact strength and increases the film brittleness during co-extrusion process at lower temperatures (below 0 ºC). Therefore, development of block copolymer has been introduced to overcome this problem since the block copolymer films incorporated with monomers with good heat sealant properties. It is because, the multilayer CPP film mainly made up of homopolymer (PP) while the multilayer RCPP film is made up of block copolymer (PP+PE) in the core layer. The findings of this comparison study based on physical and mechanical testing and molecular structures significantly shows that, the multilayer RCPP film has better impact strength, tensile strength, heat sealing, good frictional characteristics, thermal stability and degree of crystallinity compared to multilayer CPP film due to block copolymer effect.

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