Course 2

Introduction to polymers, rigid & semi-rigid plastics,
flexible packaging, design basics for plastics

Overview:

Get to know polymers and plastics from their base elements to their most complex integrated applications. Polymers are designer products formed and formulated with specific attributes. They are a diverse and adaptable raw material.

Learning objectives:

Polymer terminology
Properties based on molecular structure & weight, density, polarity and thermal history
Physical and barrier properties based on class of polymer
Materials, processes and applications in moulding and sealing
Applications of metalizing

Course modules:

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Introduction to Polymers
- Polymer raw material sources
- Polymer terminology, spelling and abbreviations
- Thermoset, and thermoplastic polymers
- Monomers, homopolymers and copolymers
Polymer Chemistry for Non-Chemists
- Factors influencing a polymer's properties
- Properties related to molecular weight and polarity
- Polymers related to polymer crystallinity
- Tg Tm and properties imparted by thermal history
- Properties imparted by mechanical history
- Viscoelastic properties
Common Packaging Polymers
- Application properties and common applications of the polyethylene family
- Application properties and common applications of:
  - polypropylene, polystyrene, poly(vinyl chloride)
  - poly (ethylene terephtahalate) and polyamide
- Application properties of polymers used as coatings
- Comments on sustainable and selected lesser used polymers
Property Comparisons
- Values provided are for establishing relative orders; they do not refer to any specific product
- Many resins offered as polymers are actually copolymers
- Polymers may be heavily modified with additives
- No two polymer producers manufacture identical resins
- Therefore values for commercially available resins can vary significantly from the example values
Sheet and Film Extrusion
- Polymer extruders
- Single and multi-layer cast & blown film extrusion
- Film orientation
- Thermoforming plastic sheet
- Other profile extruded dimensional products
Flexible Packaging Laminates
- Why multi-layer construction
- Aluminum foils and aluminum vacuum metallizing
- We-and dry-bond laminating techniques
- Extrusion coating and laminating
- Common heat seal materials
- Form-fill machines and pouch styles
- Specifying flexible packaging laminates
Injection Moulding Plastic
- Injection moulding:
  closures, dairy tubs, pails, pumps, jewel boxes, cosmetic containers and parts
- Extrusion-blow moulding:
  bottles, and other narrow-mouth containers, jars, box and drum liners, handleware, multi-layer containers
- Injection-blow moulding:
  bottle and other narrow-mouth containers, wide-mouth jars, precision finish containers
Blow Moulding Plastic
- Extrusion blow moulding process (EBM)
- Weld lines and wall thickness control
- Multilayer bottles
- Injection (IBM) and injection-stretch blow moulding (ISBM)
- EBM and IBM compared
Plastic Bottle Design Basics
- General Bottle Design Elements
- Bottle Design Elements
- Vertical and Horizontal Design Elements
- Round and other shapes
- Avoid Sharp Corners and Small Radii
- Shapes for Semi-Solid products
- Shapes for Viscous products
- Design for easy conveying
- Common dimensions
- Multi-Axis curves and labeling
- Bottle shape and fill level
- Bottle shoulders and finish
- Handle design and top loading
- Squeezable LDPE Bottles
- EBM Pumps and pour spouts
- Collapsing bottle designs
- EBM unit dose vials
- Plastic Beer Bottles
- PET Bottle with crystallized finish
- Bottle design variations
- Environmental stress cracking

Who should attend?

Everyone wishing to understand the role and potential for polymers in Consumer Goods Packaging
Professionals in the areas of Purchasing, Sales & Marketing, Packaging, Design and Production
Employees changing fields in packaging
Employees new to the packaging industry