What is Soarnol?  Soarnol is the trade name for ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) produced by Nippon Gohsei. Soarnol is designed for extrusion purposes and can be effectively co-extruded or thermoformed with PE, PP, Nylon, polystyrene, PET, and other thermoplastic resins to produce multi-layer film, sheet, bottle, tube, pipe, etc. Fabricated products containing Soarnol offer excellent oxygen barrier and solvent barrier properties, as well as, flavor retention for food packaging, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agricultural chemicals, etc.

What does Soarnol offer?  Soarnol contributes to innovative packaging technology with high gas barrier, solvent resistance, oil resistance, solvent barrier, high transparency, weather resistance, fragrance preservation, printability, luster, and environmental protection performance.

How is Soarnol produced? Soarnol resins are produced by the copolymerization of vinyl acetate and ethylene followed by alcoholysis.

How to select a specific Soarnol grade? A Soarnol grade is typically selected based upon barrier property and processability requirements. Low ethylene content grades (i.e., 29 mol%) offer better barrier properties than high ethylene content grades (i.e., 44 mol%). Conversely, high ethylene content grades generally offer better processability. The melt viscosity (reflected in the MFI) is another factor to consider when selecting a specific Soarnol grade. The melt viscosity of the selected grade should be compatible with the customer's processability requirements. The first two digits in the name of the Soarnol grade reflect the ethylene content in the copolymer, whereas the latter two digits reflect the grades MFI as measured at 210^oC /2.16 kg.

How to extrude Soarnol? Recommended screws for Soarnol should have an L/D = 24-30 and a CDR = 3.0-3.5. Typical processing temperatures range from 190-230^oC. To minimize degradation, melt temperatures should not exceed 250^oC. For further details, please refer to a technical data sheet or consult with a technical representative.

What kind of fabricating line is required to process co-extruded structures? A minimum of 3 extruders are required to process co-extruded barrier structures. Extrusion lines are required for the Soarnol, tie resin, and sealant layers.

Are there any special equipment requirements for processing Soarnol? A generic extrusion line is sufficient, although to minimize processing problems, such as dead spots, some general considerations should include: configuring screw elements to minimize polymer residence time, selecting a reasonable capacity to minimize residence times, and using metal plated flow channels.

How to select the thickness of the EVOH layer? The thickness of the EVOH layer is dependent upon the shelf-life requirement of the packaged item, its acceptable oxygen level content, and the barrier properties of the selected grade.

Are the barrier properties of Soarnol thickness dependent? Yes, in general thicker layers exhibit higher barrier properties.

What tie resins are suitable for Soarnol? Tie resin suppliers offer tie resins for EVOH. Please consult with a technical representative or tie resin supplier.

How is Soarnol handled? Soarnol is hydroscopic, similar to polyamide resins. Consequently, Soarnol should be protected from moisture. Heat seal packaged product after partial use. If Soarnol is wet, dry pellets until moisture content falls below less than 0.3 wt%. Please refer to technical data sheet or consult with a technical representative for further details.

What is the shelf life of Soarnol? Soarnol does not have a specific shelf life. Nevertheless, for best performance Soarnol should be used within one year of purchase.

What is the shape of the Soarnol pellet? Cylindrical shape.

Does Soarnol contain lubricant? Both lubricated and non-lubricated versions are available.

What does MFR (MFI) mean? MFR (MFI) indicates grams of material flow out of capillary at indicated temperature for 10 minutes. High MFR corresponds to low melt viscosity.

How is the clarity of film made of Soarnol? Film produced with Soarnol has excellent clarity.

What is the chemical structure of Soarnol? Soarnol is a random copolymer of ethylene and vinylalcohol.

Do the barrier properties of Soarnol show humidity dependence? Yes, they do. Soarnol is generally used in multi-layered structures with non-hydroscopic polymer(s).

Does Soarnol exhibit good heat seal characteristics? Generally, Soarnol is not used as a heat seal layer due to it's high melting temperature relative to other polymer layers.

Can Soarnol be subjected to boiling water and retort processes without adversely affecting barrier properties? Soarnol shows a temporary loss in barrier properties after boiling or retort.

Application Safety of Soarnol? Soarnol meets the compositional requirement of US FDA 21 CFR, Part 177, Subpart B, Paragraph 177,1360 Ethylene- vinyl acetate-vinyl alcohol copolymers or Part 175, Subpart B, Paragraph 175,105 Adhesives. Soarnol passes the material and extraction test in the Notification No. 84, 1986 announced by Ministry and Standards of Food, Additive, etc. (Notification No. 370, 1959)