EVOH-FREE High-Barrier All-Polyolefin Multilayer Supporting PE-Stream Recycling and Water-Based  Separations of POs 

 

Summary: 

Polyester-dominant biodegradable multilayer architecture incorporating biodegradable barrier and tie layers to achieve oxygen and moisture barrier performance while maintaining home and industrial compostability.  

Layer architecture:

  • Structure: PO (print) / Water dissolvable tie layer / Barrier Layer / Water dissolvable layer/ PO sealant
  • Total gauge: 70 µm
  • Composition (wt%): PO family 90%, EVOH-free barrier layer 5%, water dissolvable tie layer 5% 

Barrier: 

  • OTR (ASTM D3985): <5 cc/m²/day @ 23°C / 50% RH 
  • WVTR (ASTM F1249): <0.25 g/m²/day @ 38°C / 90% RH 

 Mechanical + converting:

  • Tensile (D882): 60 MPa 
  • Elongation: >25% 

 Recycling compatibility 

  • Target stream: PE film 
  • Density: 0.93 g/cm³ 
  • MFR: 1.2 g/10 min @ 190°C/2.16 kg 
  • Non-compatible fraction total: 10 wt% (barrier (EVOH-FREE)+ tie) 

EoL: 

  • Mechanical recycling yield: 90% (wash + repelletize) 
  • Property retention after 1 cycle: ~90% 

Biggest Novelty – Dual Recycling Pathway:

In addition to mechanical recycling compatibility, this multilayer structure supports water-based separation into pure individual resin streams, enabling recovery of constituent materials for independent reprocessing. 

Material recovery yield: ≥ 80 % 

Polyolefin purity: ≥ 99% 

Property retention vs virgin: 100% 

Contact:

rabnawaz@msu.edu 

Developed by: 

Sustainable Materials Group, Michigan State University (MSU) 

 

 

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