| HS Code | 946608 |
| Product | EVOH EVAL F171A |
| Resin Type | Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer |
| Ethylene Content | 32 mol% |
| Density | 1.19 g/cm³ |
| Melt Flow Rate | 5.2 g/10 min (190°C, 2.16 kg) |
| Melting Point | 183°C |
| Glass Transition Temperature | 62°C |
| Crystallization Temperature | 143°C |
| Oxygen Permeability | 0.05 cc·mm/m²·day·atm (20°C, 0% RH) |
| Tensile Strength At Break | 70 MPa |
| Elongation At Break | 180% |
| Flexural Modulus | 2000 MPa |
| Water Absorption | 5.5% (24h immersion) |
As an accredited EVOH EVAL F171A factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | EVOH EVAL F171A is supplied in 25 kg net moisture-proof multi-layer paper bags, sealed to protect resin quality. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | 20′ FCL container loading of EVOH EVAL F171A resin, packed in 25kg bags, palletized and secured for safe transport. |
| Shipping | Shipping description: Ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) resin, EVAL F171A, supplied as pellets. Non-hazardous for transport under IMDG, ADR, and IATA regulations. Pack in moisture-proof polyethylene-lined bags or cartons. Protect from humid conditions and physical damage. Avoid excessive heat. No special environmental controls required, but keep dry during transit. |
| Storage | Store EVOH EVAL F171A in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight, heat, and ignition sources. Keep the original container tightly closed to prevent moisture absorption, as EVOH is hygroscopic. Avoid exposure to humidity and extreme temperatures. Properly sealed material maintains quality and processability during its stated shelf life. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically 12 months from manufacture when stored unopened in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. |
On cast-film lines running five-layer high-barrier food packaging, EVAL F171A with a nominal melt-flow rate of 1.7 g/10 min at 190 °C/2.16 kg per ISO 1133-1:2022, density 1.19 g/cm³ per ISO 1183, and a melting point of 183 °C by DSC is pre-dried in a desiccant-hopper system at 80 °C for 6–8 h until residual moisture is below 0.1 wt%, then introduced to a single-screw extruder with an L/D ratio of 30:1 and a barrier screw. The melt temperature at the die is controlled between 220 °C and 230 °C; the die gap is set to 0.5–0.8 mm, and the cast roll temperature is held at 20–40 °C. In a five-layer LDPE/tie/EVOH/tie/LDPE web, the F171A layer is commonly specified at 3–8 μm while the tie layers are maleic anhydride-grafted polyolefins at 1.5–2.5 μm, and the LDPE skins account for the remaining thickness to reach a total gauge of 250–500 μm. The oxygen transmission rate of the final structure is determined according to ASTM D3985 at 23 °C and 50 % RH; manufacturer datasheets for F171A report an oxygen transmission rate of approximately 0.4 cm³/(m²·d·atm) for a 20 μm monolayer at 20 °C and 0 % RH, but converters must revalidate the value on the formed web because crystallinity changes with cooling rate and orientation. On blown-film lines, the die temperature is maintained at 215–225 °C, the blow-up ratio is held at 2.0–2.5, and the EVOH layer is fully encapsulated to avoid edge trim contamination and ambient moisture uptake at the die lip. Any processing interruption longer than 10 min requires purging with LDPE because stagnant F171A degrades through thermally induced oxidation and crosslinking at temperatures above 240 °C, producing gel defects larger than 200 μm that disrupt barrier continuity. The resulting webs are used for modified-atmosphere packaging of oxygen-sensitive foods such as fresh pasta, shredded cheese, and cured meat, where headspace oxygen must remain below 1–2 % to suppress aerobic spoilage. Food-contact status relies on FDA 21 CFR 177.1360 and EU Regulation 10/2011, with the converter responsible for confirming overall migration limits on the finished food-contact article.
Fuel tank coextrusion uses a six-layer accumulator head machine with a shot capacity of 30–50 kg; the parison sequence is programmed as HDPE/tie/EVOH/tie/regrind/tie/EVOH/tie/HDPE. The F171A stream is processed at 220–230 °C, the HDPE skins at 210–230 °C, and the combined head is designed with spiral mandrels to maintain barrier layer thickness variation within ±10 % around the circumference. In a nominal 6 mm tank wall, the two EVOH layers together represent 1.5–3 wt%, corresponding to 80–150 μm total barrier thickness. The purpose of this architecture is to meet evaporative hydrocarbon emission limits under CARB LEV III and EPA 40 CFR Part 86.1811-17; monolayer HDPE tanks with 6–10 mm wall thickness tend to exceed the 2 g/24 h SHED limit after fuel aging, whereas the EVOH interlayer is specified because its steady-state hydrocarbon permeability coefficient is documented in polymer barrier reference data as substantially lower than HDPE, though exact values depend on fuel composition. Direct contact between F171A and fuel is not permitted: alcohol-containing fuels and aggressive hydrocarbons plasticize the copolymer and cause barrier collapse. The outer HDPE and regrind layers act as moisture buffers because EVOH loses oxygen and hydrocarbon barrier at equilibrium moisture contents above 7–8 wt%, which would occur under long-term vehicle underhood humidity if unprotected. The critical failure mode on production lines is pinch-off barrier layer discontinuity: if the parison pinch-off compression ratio falls outside 0.3–0.5 of the parison thickness, the EVOH layer is extruded to the cut edge and creates a wicking channel for fuel. Processors inspect cross-sections using cross-polarized light microscopy and perform barrier layer continuity checks after every mold change. Compliance testing is conducted on finished tanks by sealing the fuel sender opening and conducting pressure-decay tests at 15 kPa plus SHED testing with CE10 test fuel; published data for individual tank geometries is specific to the part design and processing history, so each tool requires separate validation.
For ensiled forage and controlled-atmosphere grain storage, oxygen ingress must remain below 1–2 % of the stored volume to limit aerobic yeast and mould growth. EVAL F171A is coextruded as the core layer in a 5–7 layer blown film with metallocene-catalyzed LLDPE skins, with the F171A layer at 5–10 μm, tie layers at 3–5 μm, and a total film thickness of 150–250 μm. The blown-film line uses a die diameter of 250–400 mm, a blow-up ratio of 2.2–2.8, and internal bubble cooling to prevent blocking; the extruder processing F171A is run at 215–225 °C. Pre-drying at 80 °C for 6 h with a closed hopper and dry-air purge keeps moisture below 0.1 wt%; if moisture exceeds this threshold, steam hydrolysis in the barrel generates acetic acid and gel particles above 200 μm, which create pinholes in the barrier layer. Oxygen permeability of the finished film is measured by ASTM D3985, tear resistance by ASTM D1922, puncture resistance by ASTM D5748 or EN 14477, and dart impact by ASTM D1709. Because F171A raises film stiffness and reduces elongation at break relative to PE, the skin layers contain 20–30 wt% metallocene LLDPE with a density of 0.918–0.922 g/cm³ and a melt index of 1.0–1.5 g/10 min to maintain machine-direction tear strength above 5 N/mm. The operational boundary is humidity: at outdoor storage above 80 % RH, moisture uptake in the PE skins gradually plasticizes the EVOH core and reduces its oxygen barrier within 30–60 days; converters compensate by using thicker outer layers or combining the EVOH with a secondary barrier in the sealing ply. Published data for this specific silage configuration is limited, so field trials should include oxygen headspace logging in the stored clamp and tensile property testing after 12 months of UV exposure.
In pharmaceutical lidding web production, EVAL F171A is selected as the oxygen barrier core when PVDC is excluded due to chlorine content and Aclar is cost-prohibitive. The lidding structure typically comprises 25–50 μm PVC or PP, 2–4 μm tie, 3–6 μm F171A, 2–4 μm tie, and 20–30 μm PE sealant, produced by cast coextrusion at 220–230 °C. The F171A layer is fully encapsulated to prevent direct contact with filling line hot-stamping tools and to avoid ambient moisture uptake before sealing. Barrier performance is specified as oxygen transmission rate not exceeding 0.05 cm³/(m²·d·atm) at 23 °C and 50 % RH per ASTM D3985; because F171A has a water vapour transmission rate in the range of 20–30 g/(m²·d) at 40 °C and 90 % RH for a 20 μm monolayer, moisture control is provided by the PVC/PP and PE layers rather than the EVOH core. The lidding film is sealed to tray flanges at 130–160 °C and 0.2–0.4 MPa for 0.5–1.0 s; seal strength must remain above 2 N/15 mm after sterilization. Gamma irradiation at doses above 25 kGy tends to cause oxidative discoloration and embrittlement of the F171A layer, so terminal sterilization is more commonly performed with electron beam, hydrogen peroxide gas plasma, or ethylene oxide if the pack design allows. Regulatory documentation requires USP <671> moisture permeation testing, USP <661.1> extractables assessment for plastic packaging, and device-specific extractables studies; food-contact clearances such as FDA 21 CFR 177.1360 alone do not satisfy pharmaceutical packaging requirements.
Squeeze tube laminates for toothpaste, food pastes, and cosmetic creams use F171A at 5–12 μm as the oxygen and flavour barrier between PE layers in a five-layer construction of PE/tie/EVOH/tie/PE with a total thickness of 100–160 μm. The laminate is produced either by flat-die coextrusion or by adhesive lamination of cast F171A-containing barrier film to PE substrates; the EVOH layer is kept at least 2 μm from the heat-sealed seam to avoid exposed barrier edges that wick product. During tube forming, side-seam welding is performed with hot air at 300–350 °C and a sealing pressure of 0.3–0.5 MPa; because EVOH has a higher melt viscosity than PE at these temperatures, seam thickness variation must remain below ±10 % to prevent microcracks. Flex-crack resistance of the laminate is evaluated by ASTM F392 Gelbo testing; after 100 cycles, no pinhole larger than 0.1 mm is permitted. Flavour barrier is measured by weight loss or headspace gas chromatography of model permeants such as limonene and vanillin; EVOH with 32 mol% ethylene content provides high retention compared with LDPE, but published permeability coefficients for specific flavour compounds in F171A are limited and must be generated for each formulation. The main processing boundary is moisture: if the laminate is stored for more than 4 h at 60 % RH before tube forming, the F171A layer absorbs moisture near the cut edges and barrier drops at the seam. Cosmetic and food tube manufacturers therefore specify re-drying or dry storage of barrier films prior to tube line use, and validate the final tube for oxygen ingress using ASTM F1307 oxygen transmission through dry packages.
When drum liner coextrusion is performed at relative humidity above 60 %, the F171A component in a three-layer flexible liner must be protected from edge moisture uptake before the liner is sealed. Flexible barrier liners for 200-L steel or composite drums use EVAL F171A as the hydrocarbon and oxygen barrier core in an LLDPE/tie/EVOH/tie/LLDPE structure with total thickness of 120–180 μm and an F171A layer of 8–15 μm. The film is produced on a cast-film line at 220–230 °C and is inserted into drums before filling with oxygen-sensitive monomers, printing inks, or alkyd resin intermediates. Puncture resistance is determined by ASTM D1709, tear resistance by ASTM D1922, and heat seal integrity by ASTM F88. Because many alkyd intermediates contain xylene, butyl acetate, or methyl ethyl ketone, the interaction of the F171A layer with absorbed solvent must be tested by ASTM D543 immersion at 40 °C for 30 days; published data for this specific configuration is limited, so drum lining qualification includes companion storage tests with the actual chemical blend. EVOH provides a pronounced permeation barrier to methyl ethyl ketone and xylene compared with monolayer LLDPE, but it is not suitable for strong acids, strong bases, or hydrogen peroxide because hydrolytic degradation of the vinyl alcohol segments destroys the copolymer backbone. The liner must be sealed under dry conditions; open storage for more than 4 h at 60 % RH causes a measurable decline in oxygen and solvent barrier at the film edges, and the sealed seam is the primary failure location in service.
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Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer grade EVAL F171A is a 32 mol% ethylene random copolymer supplied by Kuraray for barrier-layer coextrusion in multilayer films, sheet, and blow-molded containers. The resin is specified primarily by melt flow rate and density under ISO test methods; typical supplier data list a melt flow rate of 1.7 g/10 min at 190 °C under a 2.16 kg load according to ISO 1133-1:2022, and a solid-state density of 1.19 g/cm³ according to ISO 1183-1. Oxygen transmission rates on extruded film are commonly reported as 0.4 cm³·20 μm/(m²·day·atm) at 20 °C, 0% relative humidity, and approximately 1.5 cm³·20 μm/(m²·day·atm) at 65% relative humidity when measured with ASTM D3985. These values position F171A between EVOH grades with lower ethylene content, which exhibit greater dry-state barrier but sharper humidity sensitivity, and grades with higher ethylene content, which are more tolerant of melt processing but deliver higher oxygen permeability. The material is not intended as a moisture barrier; in commercial structures it is therefore buried between polyolefin or polyester layers using adhesive tie resins.
Reported ethylene content of 32 mol% places F171A in the intermediate segment of the EVAL copolymer range. Lower-ethylene EVOH grades, typically near 27 mol%, can achieve a lower dry oxygen transmission rate but undergo more pronounced barrier loss when the film equilibrates above 70% RH. Higher-ethylene grades, typically near 38 mol%, display reduced water sensitivity and broader coextrusion temperature tolerance but sacrifice absolute gas barrier. F171A is therefore specified when the package must maintain oxygen exclusion in refrigerated or ambient distribution where relative humidity at the barrier layer fluctuates between 40% and 75%, rather than remaining bone-dry. The grade also differs from higher-melt-flow EVOH film grades by its target melt flow rate of 1.7 g/10 min, which influences die pressure and layer stability in cast-film and blown-film dies. This viscosity level supports gauge uniformity in thin barrier layers without excessive motor load, provided the extruder screw is designed for EVOH rather than polyolefins.
In the melt state, F171A exhibits shear-thinning behavior typical of EVOH copolymers. Apparent viscosity in the die shear-rate range of 100–1000 s⁻¹ is sufficiently high to maintain layer integrity but low enough to avoid excessive pressure drop in coextrusion feedblocks. The polymer is thermally sensitive, and hold-up in poorly streamlined flow channels can create degraded gel particles. Use of nickel-plated flow surfaces and avoidance of sharp transitions in feedblock geometry are common practice because degraded EVOH appears as gel specks or local barrier-layer voids in film.
Processing F171A on production-scale coextrusion lines requires control of moisture, temperature, and residence time. EVOH is hygroscopic and absorbs moisture from ambient air; residual moisture above 0.01 % can generate hydrolysis and pin-hole defects at melt temperatures. Desiccant-bed drying with air at 80 °C for 4–6 h to a dew point of −40 °C or lower is a standard pre-treatment. Extruder barrels are typically set in a rising profile from 180 °C at the feed throat to 220 °C at the metering zone, with measured melt temperature at the adapter held at 210–230 °C. Sustained melt temperatures above 240 °C initiate crosslinking and gel formation, visible as fish eyes in film or as pressure fluctuations at the screen changer. Residence time at temperature should not exceed 15 min; shutdown and purge procedures use low-density polyethylene to displace EVOH before cooling. Extruders with L/D ratios between 24:1 and 32:1 and compression ratios from 2.5:1 to 3.5:1 are commonly used. Barrier-layer dies must provide consistent melt distribution across the web; published data for specific die-gap configurations with F171A is limited, but coextruded structures commonly use barrier-layer thicknesses between 3 μm and 20 μm depending on target oxygen transmission.
On cast-film lines producing polypropylene/EVOH/polypropylene sheet for thermoforming, F171A is combined with maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene tie layers to ensure interlayer adhesion. The EVOH layer typically constitutes 5–7 % of the total sheet thickness, although high-barrier applications may specify up to 10 % when oxygen ingress must remain below 1 cm³/(m²·day·atm) at 65% RH. Feedblock or multi-manifold die systems are used; the EVOH stream is maintained at lower throughput than the polyolefin layers to avoid excessive shear heating. Interfacial instability, observed as wavy layer thickness or gauge bands, is controlled by matching melt viscosities of the tie resin and EVOH at the selected die temperature. On blown-film lines, barrier-layer uniformity is further dependent on blow-up ratio and frost-line height. Blow-up ratios between 2.0:1 and 3.0:1 and frost-line heights adjusted to 2–5 die diameters are common starting points for preserving layer continuity in polyolefin/EVOH/polyolefin films. Because F171A has a higher density and polarity than polyolefins, the barrier layer contributes disproportionately to overall film stiffness and should be considered in thermoforming mold design.
Humidity-dependent barrier performance is the central design variable for F171A. At 0% RH, the oxygen transmission rate is extremely low, but as the EVOH layer absorbs water, hydrogen bonding in the amorphous regions plasticizes the copolymer chain and increases free volume, raising oxygen permeability. At 65% RH the typical transmission rate is approximately 1.5 cm³·20 μm/(m²·day·atm); at 80–90% RH, barrier loss can increase transmission by an order of magnitude relative to dry conditions. Where sustained high-humidity exposure is expected, such as retortable pouches or hot-filled containers, the package architecture should place F171A behind a significant thickness of polypropylene or high-density polyethylene to delay moisture uptake. The use of a moisture-scavenging desiccant additive in the tie layer is not standard. Published data for barrier retention in specific retort profiles is limited; end-use testing under ASTM F1307 or equivalent oxygen-ingress methods is required to confirm shelf-life targets.
For food-contact approval, F171A is an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer subject to food-contact regulations in major markets. In the United States, EVOH is addressed under 21 CFR 177.1360, which describes ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers and includes specifications for extractable fractions. In the European Union, EVOH is evaluated under Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 on plastic materials and articles intended for food contact; the final compound and article require migration testing under the intended food simulants. Grades containing heavy metals or residual catalysts outside permitted limits are excluded. F171A does not contain plasticizers, but multilayer structures using epoxy, isocyanate, or silane-based adhesion promoters must meet their own approval status. The resin is not sold as a direct-food-contact monolayer because of moisture uptake and crazing in contact with aqueous foods.
| Standard or regulation | Designation | Test condition or scope | Value or condition reported for F171A |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO | ISO 1133-1:2022 | Melt mass-flow rate, 190 °C, 2.16 kg | 1.7 g/10 min |
| ISO | ISO 1183-1 | Density of non-cellular plastics | 1.19 g/cm³ |
| ASTM | ASTM D3985 | Oxygen transmission rate, 20 °C, 0% RH | 0.4 cm³·20 μm/(m²·day·atm) |
| ASTM | ASTM D3985 | Oxygen transmission rate, 20 °C, 65% RH | 1.5 cm³·20 μm/(m²·day·atm) |
| FDA | 21 CFR 177.1360 | Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers for food contact | Subject to extraction limits |
| EU | Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 | Plastic food-contact materials | Evaluated in final article |
Compared with polyvinylidene chloride and polyamide barrier layers, F171A provides lower oxygen permeability per unit thickness under dry-to-intermediate humidity conditions. Polyvinylidene chloride is less humidity-sensitive but has a higher oxygen transmission rate than EVOH at comparable thickness and is less favored in halogen-sensitive recycling streams. Polyamide, such as MXD6 or PA6, provides oxygen scavenging or moderate barrier but at higher layer thickness. Aluminum foil remains an absolute gas barrier but is opaque, cannot be used in microwave packaging, and adds cost in flexible laminates. F171A is therefore selected for transparent high-barrier film where an oxygen transmission ceiling of less than 1.0 cm³·20 μm/(m²·day·atm) at 65% RH is required and where surrounding polyolefin layers can maintain the EVOH core at lower relative humidity. The material does not provide significant water-vapor barrier; moisture vapor transmission is controlled by the outer polyolefin layers.
In blow-molded bottles for oxygen-sensitive products, F171A is incorporated as a discrete layer in polypropylene or high-density polyethylene preforms using multilayer injection molding. The injected preform requires controlled regrind ratios; EVOH regrind dispersed into the polyolefin matrix can form lens-like inclusions that reduce impact strength and increase haze. Typical regrind addition is limited to 10–15 % of the polyolefin stream unless the structure uses a separate regrind layer. Barrier performance in the blow-molded wall depends on EVOH layer continuity; injection nozzle shear and hot-runner temperature must avoid thermal damage. Evaluation of finished bottles under ASTM D3985 or ASTM F1307 is required to confirm oxygen-ingress rates because laboratory film data cannot be transferred directly to wall-thickness distribution after stretch-blow molding.
