EVOH Barrier Film FAQ

An EVOH film is a co-extruded multilayer film built around a core layer of EVOH (ethylene vinyl alcohol), the polymer with the best oxygen-barrier performance in commercial use. It keeps oxygen out and aroma in while staying transparent, so packaged food resists oxidation and holds flavour and colour longer. Intlpak offers 12 EVOH grades across four structures, laminated with PET, OPP or NY into finished pouches, lids and forming webs.

Match the structure to the job. PE/EVOH/PE (EVE) is the standard for chilled, frozen and ambient MAP with a PE seal. PP/EVOH/PP (PVP) adds heat tolerance for hot-fill and near-retort use. PP/EVOH/PE (PVE) pairs barrier with an easy-open seal for peelable lidding. NY/EVOH (NLB) is a nylon-toughened forming (bottom-web) film for deep-draw vacuum packs. Fix the constraint that cannot move — heat, easy-open, or forming depth — and it points to a structure.

OTR (oxygen transmission rate, cc/m²·24h at 20°C/65% RH) measures how much oxygen passes through — lower is better. Among flat barrier grades, F1256 (PE/EVOH/PE, 60μm) is tightest at 0.65; the PP/EVOH/PP grades sit at 2.6. Among forming grades, NY/EVOH F1154 reaches 0.31 — the lowest in the range. Specify from the OTR your shelf life needs, not from thickness.

They are corona-treated on one side and designed to be laminated. After laminating with PET, OPP or NY, the finished structure gains moisture barrier, mechanical strength, printability and heat sealing. Converters buy the film as rollstock; brand owners specify it as the barrier ply of a pouch, lid or forming web.

Most grades are high-clarity: the PE/EVOH/PE family runs haze 4.2–10.4% and the PP/EVOH/PP family 5–7%, so the product shows through at retail. The exception is the PP/EVOH/PE easy-peel grade at about 35% haze, which suits printed or full-coverage packs rather than see-through windows. All grades are corona-treated on one side to accept printing and lamination.

The EVOH core is an outstanding oxygen and aroma barrier, giving strong fragrance and flavour retention — important for coffee, spices and scented products. For moisture, the PE or PP skins plus any laminated PET/OPP provide the water-vapour barrier; EVOH itself is humidity-sensitive, which is why it sits protected between polyolefin layers. The finished laminate delivers both oxygen and moisture protection.

EVE is the standard transparent barrier family for chilled, frozen and ambient MAP or vacuum packs. Four gauges: F1249 (40μm, OTR 2.6, haze 4.8%), F1201 (45μm, OTR 0.9, haze 4.2% — the clearest), F1257 (55μm, OTR 1.3, haze 5.6%) and F1256 (60μm, OTR 0.65, haze 10.4% — the highest barrier but haziest). Choose F1201 when clarity sells the pack; F1256 when barrier is paramount.

It is a co-extruded film with two polyethylene (PE) skins around a central EVOH barrier layer, joined by tie layers. The EVOH delivers the gas barrier; the PE layers provide sealability, toughness and moisture protection for the humidity-sensitive EVOH. This lets one thin film combine high barrier, clarity and heat sealing — properties no monolayer film offers at once.

Because barrier follows the EVOH layer's thickness and ratio, not the film's total gauge. F1201 (45μm) measures OTR 0.9 versus F1257 (55μm) at 1.3. Always specify from the OTR figure rather than inferring barrier from overall thickness — it is the most common misreading in the family.

The polypropylene skins give PVP higher heat tolerance than the PE-based EVE family, so it suits hot-fill, microwavable and near-retort applications where a PE structure would soften. Grades: F1302 (40μm), F1355 (55μm) and F1307 (70μm, an eco-friendly all-PP structure). All three share OTR 2.6; choose PVP when the pack sees heat, EVE when it does not.

Yes — that is its differentiator. Polypropylene tolerates hot-fill and higher-temperature processing better than PE-based barrier films, so PVP suits ready meals, soups and sauces that are filled hot or reheated. For full retort pouch sealing, pair the barrier film with a dedicated Retort CPP sealant; PVP contributes the transparent oxygen barrier in heat-exposed structures.

Yes. The PP structure handles reheating better than PE, so PVP is a natural fit for microwavable barrier packaging and ready-meal barrier film where the consumer heats the product in the pack. Confirm venting and reheating guidance for the specific meal.

By optics, stiffness and moisture barrier rather than oxygen barrier. Haze doesn't scale simply with gauge — F1302 (40μm) measures 5%, F1355 (55μm) measures 7%, and F1307 (70μm) measures 6%, so the middle grade is actually the haziest — while elongation runs about 600% at 40μm up to 700% at the heavier gauges, and moisture barrier improves with thickness. F1307 is also positioned as an all-PP, mono-material-leaning structure for recyclability goals.

Choose PP/EVOH/PP (PVP) when the pack faces heat — hot-fill, pasteurization, microwave or near-retort — because polypropylene stays stable where polyethylene softens. Choose PE/EVOH/PE (EVE) for standard chilled, frozen and ambient MAP/vacuum where a PE seal is ideal and cost-optimal. Both give the same class of EVOH oxygen barrier; temperature exposure decides it.

PVE is an asymmetric barrier film — PP on one face, PE seal on the other, EVOH core — that combines a high oxygen barrier (F1648-EPL measures OTR 1.3) with an easy-peel seal option. That lets one film both protect freshness and open cleanly by hand, which is why it suits peelable MAP lidding. Its haze is around 35%, so it is a printed / full-coverage grade rather than a see-through window film.

Both are 45μm PP/EVOH/PE grades in the same family, now both backed by the same Technical Data Sheet (Ver. EN250730-PVP). F1648-EPL has the easy-peel seal function and is the hazier, stiffer grade (35% haze, 5500/5000 kg/cm² modulus); F1645 runs clearer (7% haze) with somewhat higher elongation. See each product page for the full measured comparison.

The PE seal face is formulated to release at the seal interface at a controlled force, giving a clean, easy peel instead of a tear, while holding a hermetic seal until opened. Peel strength should be validated on your specific tray and sealing conditions; Intlpak provides sealing guidance for trials. The result is high-barrier freshness protection plus a lid the consumer can open by hand.

Not for designs that sell through visibility. At about 35% haze it is distinctly hazier than the PE family's 4–5%, so it suits full-coverage printed packs or applications where the contents need not be seen. For a clear window with easy-open behaviour, use a clearer PE-family grade and recover sealing through lamination, or discuss options with Intlpak.

Sliced deli meats and cheese are opened and reclosed many times over a pack's life, so a lid that tears or fights the consumer is a genuine complaint. An easy-peel high barrier lid keeps the product fresh between uses while opening cleanly each time — combining the freshness of EVOH with everyday convenience.

A weld (permanent) seal is stronger than the film, so opening requires cutting or tearing; an easy-peel seal is engineered to release at the seal interface at a controlled force for a clean peel. For consumer packs opened by hand, the easy-peel PVE film avoids the hard-to-open lid problem while keeping the same oxygen barrier.

Choose PP/EVOH/PE (PVE) when you want barrier plus an easy-open/peelable seal, especially for tray lidding. Choose PE/EVOH/PE (EVE) for standard symmetric barrier film in chilled/frozen MAP. Choose PP/EVOH/PP (PVP) when heat tolerance (hot-fill/near-retort) is the priority. All three share the EVOH oxygen barrier; the seal behaviour and temperature needs decide it.

NLB is a nylon(PA)/EVOH/PE thermoforming film — the forming (bottom) web that is heated and drawn into a cavity on a thermoform-fill-seal machine, then sealed to a top web under vacuum. Nylon gives it deep-draw formability and pinhole resistance; the EVOH core supplies the oxygen barrier directly in the formed web. It is used for vacuum-packed meat, seafood and dry-cured products.

Each layer has a job: nylon (PA) provides formability, puncture resistance and pinhole resistance so the web can be deep-drawn without splitting; EVOH provides the oxygen/gas barrier; PE provides the heat-seal layer. Together they give best formability with resistance to twists without pinholes, high transparency, high gloss and a strong gas barrier — the exact combination a forming web needs.

Three gauges, with barrier improving as gauge rises: F1127 (80μm, ~15mm forming depth, OTR 0.8), 15N01 (139μm, 10–30mm, OTR 0.5) and F1154 (150μm, 40–50mm, OTR 0.31 — the tightest barrier in the whole EVOH range). Match the gauge to your cavity depth first, then confirm the OTR meets your shelf life.

It is the forming (bottom) web — the lower film thermoformed into a cavity to hold the product; a separate non-forming top web (lidding film) seals over it. Buyers searching for a bottom web film for a form-fill-seal machine or rollstock forming film are describing this product.

A forming web is stretched into a cavity; if it thins unevenly or cracks it develops pinholes that destroy the vacuum and the barrier. The nylon layer in the NLB films gives best-in-class formability and resistance to twists without pinholes, so deep draws stay leak-free — the direct answer to persistent pinholing on deep or aggressive draws.

It is designed for continuous automatic forming vacuum packaging machines — thermoform-fill-seal (TFFS) rollstock lines. The film is supplied as rollstock / lower web and thermoformed inline, filled, then sealed with a top web. Tell Intlpak your machine and cavity depth so the right gauge is specified.

It is used for vacuum, deoxygenation and modified atmosphere packaging, and suits room-temperature, refrigerated and frozen distribution. Store rolls away from direct light, wind and rain, protected from impact and contamination; because EVOH is humidity-sensitive, controlled storage preserves barrier performance until forming.

Yes. Laminated with PET or OPP, the NLB film can be converted into a high-oxygen-barrier bag or pre-made barrier pouch, giving processors the same barrier in a pouch format where forming isn't used.

A plain NY/PE forming film gives good formability and toughness but only a modest gas barrier. Adding an EVOH core delivers a much higher oxygen barrier for extended shelf life and MAP while keeping nylon's formability. If the product needs long fresh shelf life or a protective atmosphere, the EVOH-containing NLB film is the upgrade over NY/PE.

The forming film (the NLB series) is the bottom web that is molded into a cavity; the lidding film is the flat top web sealed over it. A complete TFFS pack uses both. If you need the top web with an easy-peel option, that is a different Intlpak product; the NLB film is the barrier forming web.

Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) replaces the air in a pack with a protective gas mix (often nitrogen and CO₂) to slow spoilage. It only works if the packaging keeps that atmosphere in and outside oxygen out — which requires a high oxygen barrier film. Intlpak's EVOH films are used for MAP of beef, chicken, pork, seafood, livestock and produce, and also suit vacuum and gas-flush lines.

Yes. As oxygen barrier films they support vacuum skin packaging (VSP), deoxygenation packaging with oxygen scavengers, and controlled-atmosphere / extended-shelf-life programs. The common thread is freshness-lock performance — the EVOH barrier is what makes each of these preservation techniques deliver a longer shelf life.

It depends on the product, the OTR of the chosen grade, the full laminate's moisture and light barrier, the fill process and storage temperature — so a single figure can't be quoted blind. Start from the OTR that suits your product, then validate shelf life on your own line. Intlpak can advise on the structure needed to hit a target shelf life.

Primarily fresh and processed protein under MAP or vacuum — beef, chicken, pork, seafood, ham, sausage and bacon — plus cheese, coffee and other oxygen-sensitive foods. The nylon-based NY/EVOH forming grades extend this to deep-drawn vacuum packs of meat and dry-cured products such as sliced ham and beef jerky.

Yes. Beyond food, EVOH films are used for cosmetics, medical care, pharmaceutical and sanitary / hygienic product packaging wherever oxygen or aroma barrier matters, and can be laminated with printed OPP or PET outer layers for a finished pack.

Yes — the high-clarity grades' transparency and barrier make them well suited to skin-pack film applications and transparent retail packs where the product must be visible and protected at once. For the easy-peel PVE grade, note its higher haze suits printed packs rather than clear windows.

Yes. The PE/EVOH/PE and NY/EVOH grades suit room-temperature, refrigerated and frozen distribution; the toughness of the nylon forming grades also helps resist punctures and freezer damage, while the EVOH barrier protects against oxidation and freezer burn during long frozen storage.

Foil and metallized films are excellent barriers but opaque, so the product can't be seen, and foil adds cost and complicates metal detection and recycling. EVOH gives comparable oxygen barrier while staying transparent, letting the pack double as its own display. When shoppers need to see the product — fresh meat, cheese, premium foods — transparent EVOH usually wins.

Both are high-barrier core materials. PVDC (a coating) contains chlorine, which raises end-of-life and incineration concerns; EVOH is a chlorine-free co-extruded layer generally preferred on sustainability grounds and for consistent high barrier at low humidity. Brands moving away from PVDC commonly specify EVOH structures as the replacement.

Intlpak positions its EVOH films as environmentally friendly materials, and grades such as the all-PP F1307 or predominantly-PE EVE structures lean toward mono-material, more recycle-ready designs than foil or mixed-polymer laminates. Actual recyclability depends on your full laminate (a PET or foil outer web changes the picture) and local collection — ask about more recycle-ready structures where that is a design goal.

Production runs under ISO 9001 quality management in a GMP clean-room environment, with ISO 22000 and HACCP food-safety certification and full raw-material traceability. All products undergo annual safety checks, and certificates are available on request for your supplier qualification file.

EVOH/PE and EVOH/PP films of this type are inherently BPA free (BPA relates to polycarbonate/epoxy chemistry, not PE, PP or EVOH). For an FDA-compliance declaration, migration reports or SGS certificates for your specific end use, contact Intlpak with your application details; supporting documentation can be provided for qualification.

Intlpak is an experienced food packaging film exporter (active at ProPak Asia, FOODEX Japan and Taipei Pack). Buyers exporting typically require, respectively, Japan food sanitation act compliant film, an EU food contact compliant film (EU 10/2011) and China GB 4806 compliant film. Tell Intlpak your destination market and they will confirm the documentation path; Halal or Kosher declarations can also be discussed per program.

As a Taiwan barrier film manufacturer and co-extrusion film manufacturer running its own coextrusion lines, Intlpak is the actual maker of these films, not a trading company — giving direct technical support and consistent certified-plant quality. It supports barrier film OEM/ODM with custom width and gauge to your slitting and lamination spec, and wholesale supply for distributors.

MOQ typically starts around 500–1,000 kg per grade and is confirmed per specification; standard lead time is about 3–5 weeks, shipped worldwide from Nantou, Taiwan under standard Incoterms (FOB, CIF, etc.). Width and length are made to order. Because EVOH is humidity-sensitive, store rolls away from direct light, wind and rain under controlled conditions to preserve barrier performance until lamination. Request a sample roll for trials on your own line.