Solvay Marks 50th Anniversary of Diofan® and Ixan® High-Barrier Polymers for Food and Drug Packaging
Unique Combination of Oxygen and Water Vapor Barrier Properties Keeps Products Fresh and Safe
BOLLATE, Italy — Solvay Specialty Polymers, a leading manufacturer of high-performance polymers, is celebrating its 50th anniversary as the global supplier of Diofan® and Ixan® polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) polymers used in barrier packaging.
Unlike most other barrier packaging materials, Diofan® and Ixan® high-barrier polymers have both oxygen barrier and water vapor barrier properties. They are used to enhance and upgrade packaging materials by preventing the permeation of oil and grease as well as the loss of aroma and flavor. They provide strong seals to make hermetic packages and improve package appearance through transparency, gloss, print adhesion, and scratch resistance.
“Diofan® and Ixan® products have a long history of providing safe and reliable packaging and they have become a performance standard in the barrier packaging industry” said An Nuyttens, Solvay’s global business manager for high-barrier polymers.
A thin layer of an aqueous Diofan® dispersion on various types of base webs enhances barrier and packaging properties, ensuring the freshness of food and preserving the efficacy of drugs even when distributed to remote geographical regions. The material’s typical water vapor transmission rate ranges between 0.05 - 10 g/(m²•d), and its oxygen transmission rate can be lower than 1 cc/(m²•d•bar).
Extrusion grades of Ixan® high-barrier polymer provide long-lasting protection for advanced film packaging solutions for both vacuum and Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), thereby extending the shelf life for fresh and processed meat, fresh and frozen fish, poultry, and cheese.
In addition to their use in food and healthcare packaging, Diofan® PVDC latexes are also used in water-based corrosion-resistant paints, coatings, and building protection due to the material’s excellent barrier to water vapor and oxygen permeation.
The Diofan® and Ixan® high-barrier polymers portfolio complies with international regulations covering materials used in direct contact with food and drug products, and they have been used effectively and safely for 50 years. The production plant located in Tavaux, France is committed to quality, health and safety, and good environmental practices and works in certified managements systems according to ISO 9001 for Quality, ISO 14001 for the Environment and OSHAS 18001 for Occupational Health and Safety.
Solvay continues to demonstrate its commitment to the Diofan® and Ixan® product lines through significant investments in research and development, manufacturing, and supply chain excellence. Continued investments are planned to support future scheduled expansions for PVDC production around the world.
About Solvay Specialty Polymers
Solvay Specialty Polymers manufactures over 1500 products across 35 brands of high-performance polymers – fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated fluids, semi-aromatic polyamides, sulfone polymers, aromatic ultra polymers, high-barrier polymers and cross-linked high-performance compounds – for use in Aerospace, Alternative Energy, Automotive, Healthcare, Membranes, Oil and Gas, Packaging, Plumbing, Semiconductors, Wire and Cable, and other industries. Learn more at www.solvay.com.
As an international chemical group, SOLVAY assists industries in finding and implementing ever more responsible and value-creating solutions. The Group is firmly committed to sustainable development and focused on innovation and operational excellence. Solvay serves diversified markets, generating 90% of its turnover in activities where it is one of the top three worldwide. The group is headquartered in Brussels, employs about 29,000 people in 55 countries and generated 12.4 billion euros in net sales in 2012. Solvay SOLB.BE) is listed on NYSE Euronext in Brussels and Paris (Bloomberg: SOLB.BB - Reuters: SOLBt.BR).
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