Uflex develops melamine free film

Melamine is a synthetic triazine compound and organic base known to impart scratch, wear and puncture resistance to packaging films, thereby enhancing the strength of the laminate structure. However, incidents, such as the contamination of pet food with melamine and its analog cyanuric, which acid led to kidney failure in thousands of dogs and cats in North America in 2007, and its detection in powdered milk to make infant formula a year later, which was associated with kidney disease in babies, has led to efforts to make packaging free from melamine.

 

In its efforts to meet this demand, Uflex, India’s largest multinational flexible packaging materials company, developed the F-AMF grade, which has been trialed at the Flex Films Europa facility in Poland. Uflex said these trials have yielded excellent results in terms of nil melamine content, good printability and enhanced lamination bond, while the film exhibits good transparency and clarity along with excellent machinability and handling properties. 

 

One side primer coating provides adhesion for inks and adhesives. The acrylic coated surface is also recommended for surface printing. The other side of film surface can be corona treated for value addition. 

 

The film is finding use in conversion, printing, hot fill, retort, pasteurization and sterilization, among other applications. 

 

The Flexpet and Flexmetprotect (grade F-AMF) are manufactured with monomers/starting substances listed in commission regulation (EU) 10/2011 relating to plastic materials and articles intended to come in contact with foodstuffs. All additives used are listed in the plastic regulation (EU) 10/2011. The additives also comply with the BFR (German federal Institute for Risk Assessment, previously known as BgVV & BGA) Recommendation XVII, Polyterephthalic acid diolesters.

 

Pramod Sirsamkar, president, technical and new product development for films at Uflex, said: ‘Looking into the growing consciousness towards health, this film has been particularly developed amid increasing demand from our customers globally.’

 

Ashok Chaturvedi, Uflex chairman and managing director, added: ‘Melamine-free acrylic coated BOPET film is a testament to Uflex’s unwavering commitment towards consumer safety and customer satisfaction across the globe. 

‘Additionally this film also exhibits excellent transparency, gloss and printability making it an absolute delight for the converters.’