SURFACE STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ANTIBLOCK FILMS CONTAINING ERUCAMIDE

摘要

Antiblocking efficiency of mineral additives in Polyethylene film has long been associated to the performance of theparticles relative to their size, distribution, placement in the film, and optical performance. The effectiveness of theantiblock is directly related to the roughness they impart on the film while minimizing loss in optical properties.New hybrid clarity antiblocks provide the necessary roughness and optical quality required in today’s high clarityfilms when compared to alternative synthetic and natural silica.Erucamide is added to improve film slip. Erucamide does not act as an organic antiblock, but works in harmony withantiblocks especially talc, as it aids in the migration process to the surface. Because of the high surface area andpore volume with synthetic silica, amides work less efficiently in this combination.Polyethylene films containing antiblock mineral additives and 1000 ppm erucamide were characterized with theAtomic Force Microscope (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and Scanning White Light InterferenceMicroscope (SWLIM). The AFM and SWLIM provide quantitative surface topography data that is used to comparethe roughness and surface morphology among LLDPE films containing several types of mineral antiblocks. AFMphase yields information about the film chemical differences supported by surface analysis.