Definition Of Polylefins In Food Packaging

Polyolefins Uses in Packaging and the Food Industry The word textile is a commonly used to refer to a flexible material that is made of a thin layer of polymers or of yarn, fibers, or fabrics or anything made from films, yarns, fibers, or fabrics. Textiles are used in everything from things like makeup brushes and seat belts to things like fishing lines and duct tape. In the food industry, textiles are often seen in things like coffee filters, bags and sacks, bakery filters, tea bags, and food packaging materials. Textiles in food packaging are used to hold, carry, store, and protect different foods and food products. In food packaging, the textile that is most commonly used is called polyolefin. Polyolefin is one of the biggest groups …show more content…
When learning about polyolefins, there are three questions that must be answered. First is, what is a polyolefin? “A polyolefin is an odorless, non-polar, and non-porous material that can be used in structural plastics, consumer goods, industrial products, and food packaging. Polyolefin stands for "oil like" and is commonly referred to as a thermoplastic or polyalkene because it has a waxy texture.” (What is a Polyolefin? n.d.) The second question to ask is, how is a polyolefin made? Polyolefins are made by olefin polymerization. Olefins are organic hydrocarbons and are commonly known as alkenes. Olefins are made of 4 hydrogen atoms and a double-bonded pair of carbon atoms. Some of the compound olefins that have been used in the production of polyolefin include ethylene, propylene, butadiene, and butanes. Most olefins derive from natural gas or oil or low-molecular-weight ingredients of petroleum, and their most protuberant members are ethylene and propylene. These two compounds are lower olefins which mean their molecules contain only one pair of carbon atoms. The chemical formula CH2=CHR commonly represents the lower olefins. Higher olefins, containing two or more pairs of carbon atoms per molecule. The last question to ask when learning about polyolefins is, what are polyolefin used for? Most polyolefin materials that are found …show more content…
L., Budinski-Simendić, J., Gvozdenović, J. J., & Simendić, B., 2010) Thus, the manufacturer has a demand for packaging material that are made of polymer that have a well-defined barrier against unwanted moisture, flavors, and gases. A high obstruction packaging can be comprised of numerous layers and many types of mastics. This provides the advanced material goods for things like extending the shelf life of a food product and the ability for the food packaging to allow certain gases that can change the product’s color inside of its barriers. “Polyolefins such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), isotactic polypropylene (PP), and some polyethylene-based copolymers are those that are most commonly used in food packaging.” (Novak, I., Popelka, A., Spitalsky, Z., Krupa, I., & Tavman, S., 2016) Polyethylene is a member of the polyolefin family and is the most commonly used plastic around the world. A thermoplastic that is made from the monomer ethylene is known as low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Low-density polyethylene was the first class of polyethylene created, and it was made by Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) in 1933. ICI used a highly-pressured process through free radical polymerization to make the first low-density polyethylene. “Low-density polyethylene is