In pallet-load stabilisation lines producing 23 µm machine film on three-layer cast coextrusion equipment with 90 mm barrier screws and 30:1 L/D, Trilene® TS 5009 LLDPE-C4/LDPE Blend is introduced at 70–80 wt% of the core layer, with C6-mLLDPE at 20–30 wt%. The skin layers contain 0–10 wt% TS 5009, 87–95 wt% C6-mLLDPE, and 3–8 wt% PIB-based cling masterbatch. This distribution preserves tack and reduces neck-in at the slot die while the C4-LLDPE component contributes machine-direction stretch force and puncture resistance. Film for indirect food contact must satisfy FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 olefin polymer requirements and EU Regulation No 10/2011 overall migration limits of 10 mg/dm²; mechanical acceptance typically uses ASTM D5748-95(2012) for puncture propagation and ASTM D5459-96(2012) for machine-direction elastic recovery. On a 1200 mm slot die with a 32°C chill roll, the air gap is maintained between 80 mm and 150 mm, and line speed is 400–600 m/min. Melt temperature is held at 240–260°C; excursions above 270°C produce gel formation at the die lip. At warehouse relative humidity above 60%, PIB cling masterbatch is pre-dried at 70°C for 2 h to prevent surface streaking. Terminal products are 10–30 µm automatic machine stretch film and 12–15 µm hand-grade stretch film on 38 mm or 50 mm paper cores.

Where UV-stabilised silage covers and greenhouse claddings require a balance between dart-impact retention after multi-season solar exposure and flex-crack resistance at fold lines, TS 5009 is processed in the core layer at 75–90 wt%, with a UV/HALS masterbatch at 3–6 wt% in the exterior skin and an anti-fog or IR-additive masterbatch at 2–4 wt% in the interior skin. Compliance for silage bale wrap is assessed under EN 13206:2017, and tensile elongation after weathering is measured according to ISO 527-3:2018; REACH documentation follows EC 1907/2006. Three-layer blown-film lines with 65 mm, 90 mm, and 65 mm grooved-feed extruders, a 300 mm die, and a die gap of 2.2 mm run at BUR 2.5:1–3.0:1. The frost line is held at 8 die diameters to stabilise bubble turbulence; output on the 90 mm core extruder is typically limited to 280 kg/h before melt-pressure variability exceeds ±6%. Films above 150 µm are extruded as three-layer structures rather than monolayer to avoid UV masterbatch agglomeration at high thickness. Terminal products are 25 µm silage bale wrap, 150–200 µm greenhouse cover film, and 50–80 µm low-tunnel film.

How Does the C4-Comonomer Fraction Affect Shrink Force in Collation Film?

Heavy-gauge collation shrink converted by double-bubble orientation places a specific requirement on the C4-butene branch content of the LLDPE phase because short-chain branching controls crystallisation kinetics and final shrink force. TS 5009 is incorporated at 70–85 wt% with 10–20 wt% high-pressure LDPE to increase transverse-direction shrink and 3–5 wt% fluoropolymer processing aid to suppress melt fracture at the annular die. The relevant test methods are ASTM D2732-14 for free shrink and ISO 14616 for shrink stress; when the film is used for food-contact bundling, EU Regulation No 10/2011 and FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 migration limits apply. Production equipment consists of a heavy-gauge blown-film line with a 90 mm single-screw extruder, 30:1 L/D, die gap 2.8–3.2 mm, and BUR 3.0:1; post-orientation, the tube is slit and passed through a 170–190°C hot-air tunnel for 45–60 s. Terminal products are heavy-gauge pallet shrink covers and collation bundles for glass, metal, and paperboard containers. Published shrink-force data for this specific LLDPE-C4/LDPE configuration is limited; converter line trials with a shrink-tunnel thermocouple map are required to establish final MD/TD shrink ratios.

At 250 kg/h output on 150–250 µm heavy-duty sack film lines, the blend is exposed to high melt pressure and requires a die gap of 2.5–3.5 mm to avoid melt fracture. TS 5009 is introduced at 80–95 wt% with 1–2 wt% fluoroelastomer processing aid and 0.5–1.5 wt% slip/antiblock masterbatch. Mechanical specifications are tested using ASTM D1709-15a for dart impact and ISO 527-3:2018 for tensile properties; food-contact liners must comply with FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 and EU Regulation No 10/2011. The line uses a 90 mm extruder with 30:1 L/D, a BUR of 2.2:1–3.5:1, and melt temperature 195–215°C. Terminal products include FIBC liners, gusseted heavy-duty shipping sacks, and construction film. Batch-to-batch dart impact variance increases when recycled trim exceeds 15 wt% or when the die gap is reduced below 2.2 mm, because the C4-LLDPE component undergoes molecular orientation at the die lip.

Corona-Treated Sealant Webs in Dry-Food Lamination Structures

Sealant webs coextruded or tandem-laminated with TS 5009 require a surface energy of 38–42 mN/m for adhesion to aluminium foil, PET, or BOPP in dry-food laminations. The blend is used at 85–100 wt% in the sealant layer, with 2–5 wt% antiblock masterbatch and 0.5–1.0 wt% slip additive. Food-contact compliance is anchored to FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 and EU Regulation No 10/2011, with overall migration limited to 10 mg/dm². Process conditions include tandem extrusion lamination at 260–320°C, a 15–25 g/m² coating weight, and an air-cooled corona treater with watt density below 1.2 W/m²/min. Seal initiation temperature rises by 3–5°C when corona output exceeds 46 mN/m, which reduces high-speed sealing latitude. Terminal products are dry-food stand-up pouches, bag-in-box liners, and sachet films.

When Sub-Zero Puncture Resistance Governs Frozen Food Film Selection

When distribution temperatures fall below -18°C, frozen vegetable bags, ice cream liners, and cold-chain mailers are blown from a compound containing 85–95 wt% TS 5009 with 2–4 wt% high-slip masterbatch and 3–6 wt% white masterbatch for 40–70 µm film. Testing uses ASTM D1709-15a for dart impact at -18°C and ISO 527-3:2018 for tensile properties; direct food contact requires FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 and EU Regulation No 10/2011. The blown-film line is configured with a 2.0–2.4 mm die gap, BUR 2.5:1, and melt temperature 190–210°C. The practical lower operating limit is -25°C; below this temperature, blends containing more than 10 wt% HDPE recycled content show reduced dart impact, and converter validation by frozen-drop testing is required.