Honeywell unveils clear high barrier film
designed for medical applications, such as overwraps, pouches and
lidding.
The new film, called Aclar Flex, is a clear polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) that provides up to 10 times the barrier protection of conventional transparent packaging films such as polyvinylchloride (PVC) and polypropylene, according to Honeywell.
Aclar Flex also provides a transparent alternative to opaque packaging that is generally used for medical items. This allows healthcare staff and the end-user to see into packages, simplifying quality inspections, labelling processes and product identification.
Packaging is of crucial importance to the medical and healthcare industries, which often deals with products that are sensitive to moisture and must be kept sterile. Honeywell says the new film is biochemically-inert, plasticiser- and stabiliser-free, chemically-resistant and can be sterilised in an autoclave.
Honeywell said that Aclar Flex film can also be used "in new drug delivery technologies including medicine that patients wear, medicine that is inhaled, medicine that melts in a patient's mouth, and micronized pulmonary delivery systems."
The new film is being introduced in three gauges to span a range of product requirements. It can also be customised with unique colours, tamper-evident and counterfeit detection and child-resistance features.
