Kuraray EVAL™ EVOH was one of a portfolio of unique products that combine performance and sustainability presented by Kuraray at the 2019 K Show in Dusseldorf last month.

EVAL™ EVOH copolymer resin creates an impermeable layer for use in co-extrusion and co-injection processes. Its high-performance oxygen barrier properties make it an optimum packaging material, for example for dry foods such as coffee and dehydrated milk: it keeps out gases such as oxygen and keeps in the flavor of the food. It maintains its barrier properties even after heat treatment and can be used for retort packaging as a substitute for materials like glass, aluminum or tin.

In addition, there are advantages in the recycling process: adding 10% PP-EVOH recycling material from industrial sources to recycled PCR-PP or PCR-HDPE from domestic refuse collections did not affect food-safe cleaning, further processing or the physical properties of the recyclables compared to PCR-PP or PCR-HDPE alone. This addition corresponds to 5 times the proportion currently detectable in the recycling of PP materials. “We are presenting a completely new grade of our EVAL™ EVOH copolymer at K 2019,” says Hiroyuki Shimo, President of Kuraray EVAL Europe. “Its particularly low ethylene content facilitates the development of more easily recyclable multi-layer structures. It therefore makes an important contribution to a more efficient use of resources.”

Read more about our unique products that combine performance and sustainability.

Glossary:
PP-EVOH – Polypropylene Ethylene-Vinyl Alcohol
PCR-PP – Post-Consumer Resin Polypropylene
PCR-HDPE – Post-Consumer Resin High Density Polyethylene