EVOH EVAL J171B

In multilayer barrier sheet coextrusion for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) of fresh red meat, poultry, and processed seafood, EVAL J171B is incorporated as the core oxygen-barrier layer between polypropylene skin and tie layers on cast sheet lines equipped with extruders having L/D ratios not lower than 30:1. The sheet structure typically comprises PP skin (200–400 μm) / maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene tie (30–60 μm) / EVAL J171B (30–80 μm) / tie (30–60 μm) / PP skin (200–400 μm), yielding total sheet thickness between 600 μm and 1,200 μm depending on draw ratio requirements of the downstream thermoforming tool. Barrier performance of the EVOH layer is characterized by oxygen transmission rate per ASTM D3985 at 23 °C and 0% RH, with published values for 27 mol% ethylene EVOH grades falling between 0.2 cc/m²·day·atm and 0.5 cc/m²·day·atm at 20 μm thickness. Thermoforming is executed on multi-cavity contact-heat machines with plug assist, with sheet surface temperatures maintained at 160–180 °C measured by infrared pyrometry prior to the forming station. The critical engineering constraint is EVOH layer thickness uniformity after deep-draw deformation: at draw ratios exceeding 2.0:1, wall thinning at tray corners can reduce the EVOH layer to below 40% of nominal thickness when low-viscosity barrier grades are substituted. EVAL J171B, with melt flow rate measured per ISO 1133-1 at 190 °C under 2160 g load in the range of 0.3–0.5 g/10 min, maintains higher melt viscosity during the forming operation and resists the radial flow localization that produces barrier discontinuities. Pre-drying is mandatory when the resin has been exposed to ambient humidity greater than 60% RH: hopper dryer settings of 80–90 °C for 4–6 hours with desiccant dew point below −40 °C reduce moisture to below 100 ppm, which is the threshold above which hydrolytic degradation during melt processing generates gel particles and interfacial voids. Purge protocols on the coextrusion line specify HDPE with melt flow rate of 0.3–0.8 g/10 min for shutdown sequences, because EVOH residue maintained at processing temperature for more than 20 minutes without throughput develops crosslinked degradation products that manifest as visible specks in subsequent production. Finished tray oxygen transmission rate is verified per ASTM F1927 at 23 °C and 50% RH internal, 0% RH external, with acceptance limits typically below 0.05 cc/package/day for trays in the 500 mL to 1,000 mL capacity range used for case-ready meat distribution. Shelf-life extension from MAP packaging with EVOH barrier layers has been documented in published food science literature to extend refrigerated storage of fresh pork loin from 4–5 days under aerobic overwrap to 14–21 days at 0–4 °C under 70% O₂/30% CO₂ modified atmosphere. The secondary constraint is water vapor ingress through the PP skins, which elevates the equilibrium relative humidity of the EVOH layer itself and progressively increases its oxygen transmission rate; this is addressed by designing the EVOH layer thickness not for 0% RH conditions but for the 65% RH internal environment typical of refrigerated meat MAP, where published OTR values for 27 mol% ethylene EVOH are approximately 1.0–3.0 cc/m²·day·atm at 20 μm thickness.

Tooling configuration on the thermoforming machine requires matched die materials to accommodate the thermal conductivity differential between PP and EVOH. Aluminum tooling with PTFE-coated plug surfaces and temperature-controlled mold cavities at 20–40 °C produces consistent wall distribution when combined with plug speed settings in the range of 50–150 mm/s. The EVAL J171B layer acts as a heat retention element during forming because its higher viscosity delays sheet sag before mold closure, which is quantified on industrial lines by measuring the sag distance at the sheet centerline over a fixed heating time: for multilayer sheets containing J171B, sag displacement is typically 15–25% lower than sheets containing EVOH grades with MFR above 1.0 g/10 min. Delamination at the tie/EVOH interface after thermoforming is assessed per ASTM F904 peel testing, with acceptable peel strength above 4 N/15mm for trays exposed to chilled distribution and consumer handling. Any claim of improved thermal stability during forming must be anchored to differential scanning calorimetry per ASTM D3418, where the melting endotherm peak for 27 mol% ethylene EVOH appears at approximately 181–183 °C, and the crystallization exotherm during cooling occurs near 144–145 °C, establishing the lower bound of the forming window. The upper processing temperature limit is 250 °C, above which published thermal degradation data for EVOH indicates acetic acid evolution and rapid discoloration; this boundary is enforced by temperature alarms on all barrel zones, adapter, and die, with automatic shutdown interlocks set at 245 °C.

What Does J171B Contribute to Blow-Molded Barrier Bottle Integrity?

Extrusion blow molding of condiment bottles with oxygen-sensitive contents such as ketchup, mayonnaise, and low-acid sauces is performed on six-layer accumulator-head machines where the parison structure is HDPE outer / regrind / maleic anhydride-grafted PE tie / EVAL J171B / tie / HDPE inner. The EVOH layer is designed at 15–30 μm within a total wall thickness of 800–1,200 μm, which represents 2–4% of the cross-section. Barrier contribution is evaluated by measuring the oxygen ingress rate per bottle under ASTM D3985 at 23 °C and 50% RH, with published acceptance criteria for ketchup bottles in the 500 mL to 1,000 mL range typically below 0.01 cc/package/day to maintain 12-month shelf life with vitamin C retention above 80% of initial value. J171B is selected over lower-viscosity extrusion grades because the high-viscosity melt stream resists parison diameter instability during intermittent extrusion from the accumulator head, where melt pressure fluctuations cause localized thinning when the EVOH layer viscosity is insufficiently matched to the surrounding HDPE layers. Mismatched viscosity curves produce parison layer non-uniformity that cannot be corrected by die gap adjustment alone; the ratio of EVOH melt viscosity to HDPE melt viscosity at the extrusion shear rate of approximately 10–100 s⁻¹ should be maintained within 0.8–1.5 to prevent encapsulation defects. Processing temperatures for the EVOH extruder are profiled from 180 °C at the feed zone to 225 °C at the metering zone and 220 °C at the die adapter, while the HDPE extruders operate at 200–240 °C, and the head and die zones are maintained at 200–220 °C to prevent EVOH degradation at stagnant flow boundaries. The accumulator head design requires a spiral mandrel layer distribution system with separate temperature zones for the EVOH channel, because EVOH thermally degrades at the 250 °C limit while HDPE remains processable above 260 °C, creating a temperature overlap window of approximately 200–240 °C that must be enforced by independent temperature controllers on each layer channel.

Hot-fill capability of bottles containing J171B barrier layers is influenced by the glass transition temperature of the EVOH, reported in published literature as approximately 55–60 °C for 27 mol% ethylene grades. Hot-fill operations for high-acid sauces typically specify fill temperatures of 70–85 °C, which exceeds the glass transition of EVOH and requires the HDPE outer layers to carry the mechanical load of bottle sidewall deformation during cooling. The EVOH layer in the hot-fill bottle undergoes compressive strain during cooling contraction of the HDPE matrix, and interfacial shear stresses at the tie/EVOH boundary are measured indirectly by peel testing per ASTM F904 after hot-fill exposure, with acceptable values remaining above 3 N/15mm. Compliance with food contact regulations for J171B is established under FDA 21 CFR 177.136(a)(3) and (b), which governs ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers with ethylene content between 17 mol% and 38 mol% for use in contact with aqueous and acidic food types, and under European Union Regulation 10/2011 with Food Contact Material number 508 for ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer. Migration testing per EU 10/2011 Annex III and V uses food simulants assigned to the food category, with overall migration limits of 10 mg/dm² for plastic materials. In practice, bottle converters document compliance through a supply chain declaration letter from the resin manufacturer confirming that the EVOH grade is manufactured under GMP conditions per EU Regulation 2023/2006 and that the specific migration limits for the ethylene and acetic acid monomers are satisfied.

The following compliance matrix consolidates the principal regulatory designations applicable to EVAL J171B in food contact and industrial packaging applications:

Coextrusion blow molding of automotive fuel tanks with EVOH barrier layers introduces rheological matching requirements that dominate production decisions. The multi-layer structure for a plastic fuel tank is HDPE outer / regrind / maleic anhydride-grafted HDPE tie / EVAL J171B / tie / regrind / HDPE inner, with the EVOH layer designed to occupy 1.5–3% of the total wall thickness, which is typically 4–8 mm for passenger vehicle tanks of 40–70 L capacity. Hydrocarbon permeation from tank walls is regulated by SAE J1737 for barrier system testing, by CARB LEV II and LEV III evaporative emission standards, and by EPA 40 CFR 86.1811 for full-vehicle evaporative emissions. Published permeation data for multi-layer EVOH tanks indicates that hydrocarbon permeation rates below 0.5 g/m²/day are achievable when the EVOH layer remains continuous and is protected from moisture by the thick HDPE outer layers. The critical processing defect is moisture-induced bubble formation in the EVOH layer: when resin moisture content exceeds 100 ppm by Karl Fischer titration, steam generated at melt temperatures of 200–230 °C creates microvoids that collapse to pinholes during parison stretching and blow inflation. Pre-drying is therefore executed in a desiccant hopper dryer with air inlet temperature of 80–90 °C, residence time of 4–8 hours, and dew point verified below −40 °C by chilled-mirror hygrometer, with moisture validation by ASTM D7191 for EVOH powder or pellet sampling.

Fuel tank drop testing at −40 °C per SAE J1681 evaluates the impact resistance of the multi-layer wall, where the EVOH layer contributes no impact strength but must not act as a crack propagation site. Interlayer adhesion after fuel soak is tested by exposing samples to CE10 and CE85 fuel blends for 500 hours at 40 °C, followed by peel testing that must remain above 3 N/15mm. Rheological compatibility between EVAL J171B and the HDPE matrix is achieved when the apparent viscosity of the EVOH at the coextrusion shear rate of 5–50 s⁻¹ falls within the viscosity envelope of the selected HDPE blow molding grade, which typically exhibits viscosity in the range of 5,000–20,000 Pa·s at 200 °C under the same shear conditions. The accumulator head discharge sequence introduces transient flow conditions that challenge layer uniformity, and J171B with its high viscosity (0.3–0.5 g/10 min MFR per ISO 1133-1 at 190 °C/2160 g) resists layer migration during the acceleration and deceleration phases of parison extrusion more effectively than grades with MFR above 1.0 g/10 min. Long-term barrier retention under fuel exposure is characterized by measuring oxygen transmission rate per ASTM D3985 before and after fuel soak for 1,000 hours, with published data indicating that 27 mol% ethylene EVOH grades retain 80–90% of initial oxygen barrier after hydrocarbon contact at 40 °C.

Soil Fumigation Barrier Film Layering and Permeation Control

Agricultural fumigation films incorporating EVAL J171B as the core barrier layer are deployed in raised-bed and flat-field soil treatments where volatile fumigants such as chloropicrin, methyl bromide, and 1,3-dichloropropene must be retained at the soil surface for contact time sufficient to achieve nematode and pathogen control. The film structure is LDPE outer / tie / EVAL J171B / tie / LDPE inner, with total thickness of 25–50 μm and EVOH layer thickness of 3–10 μm. Published field trial data from soil fumigation research has documented that conventional LDPE monolayer films allow fumigant emission of 30–50% of applied dose within 72 hours, whereas multilayer films with EVOH barrier layers reduce cumulative emission to below 10% over the same interval when measured by flux chamber methods per ASTM F739 chemical permeation test procedures adapted for field use. The EVOH layer in fumigation films is exposed to moisture from both soil evaporation and ambient rainfall, and this moisture uptake reduces the barrier performance of EVOH toward fumigant compounds that penetrate through the swollen polymer matrix. Barrier degradation at high relative humidity is a documented limitation of all EVOH grades, and published data for 27 mol% ethylene EVOH indicates that oxygen transmission rate at 85% RH increases to approximately 3–8 cc·20 μm/m²·day·atm from the 0% RH baseline of 0.2–0.5 cc·20 μm/m²·day·atm. To mitigate this, the LDPE outer layers are designed to contribute limited but non-zero water vapor barrier, and film formulations incorporate light stabilizers in the LDPE skins (0.5–1.0% hindered amine light stabilizer) to protect the EVOH from UV-induced degradation during 4–8 week field exposure. Installation damage resistance is evaluated by Elmendorf tear testing per ASTM D1922, with acceptable tear strength above 20 g for machine direction and 50 g for transverse direction.

The fumigation film application exposes an operational boundary of J171B that must be explicitly stated: EVOH exhibits reduced flexibility below 5–10 °C, which can produce cracking during mechanical laying operations in early spring soil temperatures. Field installation crews compensate by delaying film laying until soil surface temperature exceeds 10 °C, and by specifying film widths that reduce tension during mechanical application. Adhesion between the EVOH layer and LDPE substrates is achieved through maleic anhydride-grafted LLDPE tie resins applied at 10–15% of total film thickness, with peel strength per ASTM F904 exceeding 2 N/15mm after 24 hours of water immersion. The selection of J171B over lower-viscosity EVOH grades in this application is driven by the need for melt stability during high-output blown film coextrusion, where the EVOH layer is extruded at rates up to 150 kg/h on lines with die diameters of 250–400 mm. High-viscosity J171B maintains a stable bubble geometry under high draw conditions and resists premature solidification at the die lip, which would otherwise generate surface roughness known as melt fracture. Blown film processing of EVOH requires careful die temperature management at 210–230 °C and a blow-up ratio between 2.0:1 and 3.0:1. Shutdown procedures mandate immediate purging with LDPE to prevent EVOH residence in the die at elevated temperatures.

When Retort Conditions Exceed Standard Hot-Fill Thermal Loads

Retortable barrier trays produced from multilayer sheet containing EVAL J171B are subjected to steam retort sterilization at 121 °C for 30 minutes, or equivalent thermal lethality per FDA 21 CFR 113 for low-acid canned foods in hermetically sealed plastic packages. The thermal load imposed by retort processing exceeds the normal hot-fill window of 70–85 °C and introduces two failure mechanisms that are not present in standard pasteurization: post-retort oxygen barrier degradation due to retained moisture in the EVOH layer, and interlayer adhesion loss at the PP/tie/EVOH boundary. The sheet structure for retortable trays is PP outer / tie / EVAL J171B / tie / PP inner, with the PP layers providing the thermal resistance required for 121 °C exposure, while the EVOH layer thickness is increased to 60–120 μm to compensate for the post-retort barrier loss. Published research on EVOH retort behavior indicates that oxygen transmission rate measured per ASTM F1927 at 23 °C and 65% RH increases by a factor of 2–5 after retort processing, when compared to the pre-retort value at the same test conditions, because water absorbed during sterilization remains trapped within the EVOH layer between the hydrophobic PP skins. The barrier recovery occurs over 7–30 days of ambient storage as moisture gradually desorbs, and post-retort barrier performance must be specified at the 30-day recovery point rather than immediately upon removal from the retort vessel. Tie layer selection for retortable structures requires maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene with thermal stability sufficient to maintain peel strength above 3 N/15mm per ASTM F904 after 20 retort cycles, and commercial tie resins specifically designed for retort applications are specified by their manufacturers for continuous exposure at 121 °C saturated steam.

The process window for EVOH during retort is constrained by the onset of hydrolytic degradation at temperatures above 100 °C in the presence of absorbed water. Unlike PP, which remains mechanically stable through the retort cycle, the EVOH layer experiences simultaneous thermal and hydrolytic stress that can cause localized layer rupture if the internal water vapor pressure exceeds the adhesion strength at the tie layer interface. This failure mode is observed on production lines as post-retort delamination blisters that appear within 24–48 hours after sterilization, and it is mitigated by pre-retort conditioning of the tray at 40–60 °C for 12–24 hours to reduce EVOH moisture content below 2,000 ppm before thermal processing. J171B contributes process margin through its high-viscosity character, which maintains interfacial integrity during the thermal expansion differential between PP and EVOH: the coefficient of linear thermal expansion for PP is approximately 100–150 × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ while that of EVOH is approximately 50–70 × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹, generating interfacial shear stress during heat-up that can exceed tie layer yield strength when the EVOH layer is excessively thick. Retortable tray validation includes burst testing per ASTM F1140, tensile seal strength per ASTM F88, and oxygen transmission per ASTM F1927 on pre-retort and post-retort samples. The specification limit for post-retort OTR in meat-containing retort meals is typically below 0.5 cc/package/day at 23 °C and 50% RH after 30-day ambient recovery.

Cold-form aluminium blister packaging has historically been the default specification for moisture-sensitive active pharmaceutical ingredients that cannot be protected by standard PVC/PVdC thermoformed blisters, but coextruded structures incorporating EVAL J171B now provide an alternative with thermoforming throughput advantages and reduced aluminum consumption. The blister film structure is PP outer / tie / EVAL J171B / tie / PP inner, with total film thickness of 300–500 μm and EVOH layer thickness of 40–100 μm. Moisture barrier performance is specified through water vapor transmission rate testing per ASTM F1249 at 38 °C and 90% RH, with acceptance criteria defined by USP <671> for pharmaceutical container classifications. Published data for polypropylene-based multilayer barrier blisters indicates that EVOH contributes minimal moisture barrier relative to aluminum foil laminates, which achieve near-zero WVTR, and therefore EVOH blister packages for moisture-sensitive APIs are supplemented with desiccant inserts or require secondary moisture barrier packaging. The primary contribution of J171B in pharmaceutical blister applications is oxygen barrier rather than moisture barrier: thermoformed EVOH blisters achieve oxygen transmission rates below 0.05 cc/package/day per ASTM F1927, which protects oxidation-sensitive drug formulations such as proton pump inhibitors and omega-3 supplements from oxygen-mediated degradation. Thermoforming precision for pharmaceutical blisters requires cavity depth consistency within ±0.1 mm to ensure uniform drug tablet seating, and the high-viscosity J171B grade provides the layer distribution stability needed to achieve this on multi-cavity blister machines running at 200–600 cycles/minute. Compliance with FDA 21 CFR 177.136 governs the use of EVOH in drug contact layers, and pharmaceutical-grade documentation includes Drug Master File (DMF) availability from the resin manufacturer, which provides the regulatory reference for ANDA filings.

Evaluation of the EVOH layer after thermoforming is performed by cross-sectional microscopy on microtomed samples, where layer thinning is measured as the ratio of minimum wall thickness at the cavity corner to the nominal sheet thickness. Published data from pharmaceutical packaging development studies has established that layer thinning below 30% of nominal thickness produces statistically measurable increases in oxygen transmission, and the process window for J171B in blister thermoforming is defined by sheet surface temperatures of 155–175 °C combined with plug assist timing that maintains EVOH layer continuity during the final 0.5–1.0 mm of cavity depth penetration. Solvent compatibility of J171B for pharmaceutical packaging must be assessed against the specific drug formulation, because EVOH is susceptible to swelling by polar organic solvents that may be present in liquid drug formulations or coating excipients. Published chemical resistance data for 27 mol% ethylene EVOH indicates good resistance to alcohols up to 20% aqueous concentration but measurable swelling in higher alcohol concentrations, and compatibility testing per ICH Q3C should be documented for any liquid formulation in contact with the EVOH layer. The operational boundary for this application is the limitation of EVOH as a moisture barrier, and pharmaceutical package engineers must design the complete package system with this constraint explicitly acknowledged rather than relying on EVOH alone for moisture protection.

Flex-Crack Resistance Governs Stand-Up Pouch Barrier Longevity

Cast film coextrusion of barrier films for stand-up pouches used in liquid food packaging (sauces, soups, beverages) deploys EVAL J171B as the core oxygen-barrier layer in a structure of LLDPE / tie / J171B / tie / LLDPE, with the EVOH layer at 10–25 μm within a total film thickness of 80–150 μm. The primary failure mode for barrier performance in this application is flexural fatigue cracking, which is evaluated per ASTM F392 by subjecting the film to repeated folding cycles and then measuring oxygen transmission rate per ASTM F1927. Published data from flexible packaging research indicates that EVOH-containing films typically survive 100–500 Gelbo flex cycles before oxygen transmission rate increases by more than 50% of the pre-flex value, and the specific performance depends on EVOH layer thickness, tie layer adhesion, and the modulus mismatch between the EVOH core and the polyolefin skins. J171B with its 27 mol% ethylene content provides a documented balance between barrier efficiency and flexural fatigue resistance compared to lower-ethylene grades: ethylene content below 25 mol% yields higher barrier but reduced flex crack resistance, while ethylene content above 32 mol% provides improved flexural durability at the cost of measurable barrier reduction. Drop testing of filled pouches per ISTA 1A evaluates the complete package system under distribution simulation, with acceptable performance defined as zero seal failure and oxygen transmission rate retention above 70% of pre-drop values. Seal strength verification per ASTM F88 is specified at minimum 20 N/25mm for the longitudinal fin seal and 25 N/25mm for the bottom gusset seal.

The lamination or adhesion step between the cast barrier film and the outer printed film is executed on solventless lamination machines, where the adhesive is selected for chemical resistance to the packaged liquid food compounds. If the package contains lipophilic components such as oils or emulsified sauces, the adhesive system must prevent delamination at the film interface when exposed to the food matrix at distribution temperatures up to 40 °C. Interlaminar bond strength is measured per ASTM F904, with acceptable values above 4 N/15mm after 72 hours of immersion in the specified food simulant. EVAL J171B in cast film extrusion is processed at barrel temperatures of 200–230 °C with a chill roll temperature of 15–25 °C to control crystallinity, and the resulting film exhibits haze values below 5% per ASTM D1003 for transparent pouch applications. The high viscosity of J171B contributes to die build-up resistance, because EVOH at high temperature forms degraded gel deposits at the die lip that produce visible die lines when the resin residence time distribution includes stagnant flow zones. Clean-in-place maintenance intervals on cast film lines running J171B are typically 3–5 days before die lip cleaning is required for optical quality film, compared to 1–2 days for lower-viscosity EVOH grades that are more prone to flow instability at the die exit. Published data for specific cast film configurations is limited when non-standard adhesive systems are employed, and barrier validation must be executed by the converter on the specific film construction.

Evaluating Tube Squeeze Fatigue in Coextruded Cosmetic Barrier Structures

Coextruded plastic tubes for toothpaste, cosmetic creams, and hair care products incorporate EVAL J171B as the barrier layer in a structure of PE outer / tie / J171B / tie / PE inner, with tube body wall thickness of 300–500 μm and EVOH layer thickness of 20–40 μm. The application-specific stress is cyclic squeezing deformation: published consumer usage testing data for personal care tubes indicates that a tube body experiences 50–200 squeeze cycles during product depletion, and each squeeze cycle induces both tensile and compressive strain in the EVOH layer that accumulates as micro-cracking if the barrier layer exceeds its flexural fatigue limit. Evaluation of squeeze fatigue is performed by repeated compression testing on filled tubes using a universal testing machine with a pneumatic grip simulating finger pinch force of 30–50 N, followed by oxygen transmission rate measurement per ASTM F1927 on the tube shoulder region where wall thickness reduction is most severe. Published data for EVOH barrier tubes indicates that oxygen transmission rate increases by less than 25% after 100 squeeze cycles when the EVOH layer thickness is maintained above 20 μm and the tie layer peel strength exceeds 3 N/15mm per ASTM F904. The high-viscosity character of J171B is advantageous during the tube heading process, where the extruded tube body is compressed and sealed at the shoulder, because the EVOH layer must remain continuous through the head crimping and welding operation.

Aroma and fragrance retention in cosmetic products is the primary functional contribution of the EVOH barrier layer in tube packaging, because oxygen permeation into the product initiates oxidative degradation of fragrance compounds, essential oils, and active ingredients such as retinol or vitamin C. Published shelf-life studies for cosmetic formulations in barrier tubes have documented that oxygen transmission rates below 0.05 cc/package/day maintain fragrance intensity above 90% of initial value for 24 months at ambient storage. The high-viscosity J171B resin is extruded in coextrusion tube lines at melt temperatures of 200–225 °C, and the tube body is cooled on a sizing mandrel before the shoulder thermoforming operation. Regrind incorporation from tube shoulder trimming is limited to 10–20% of the total structure weight, because EVOH regrind particles create visible surface defects in the outer PE layer when exceeding this threshold. A documented limitation of EVOH in cosmetic tube applications is the susceptibility of the EVOH layer to stress whitening during high-speed tube body calibration, which is mitigated by maintaining the EVOH melt temperature at the lower end of the processing window (190–210 °C) and ensuring uniform cooling on the calibration mandrel. Compliance with cosmetic packaging regulations does not involve food-contact standards but requires documentation under REACH for the EVOH resin, including registration numbers and any Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) declarations per Article 33 of REACH. The EVAL J171B resin is not classified as SVHC, and standard REACH registration documentation from the manufacturer is sufficient for cosmetic packaging converters in the European Union market.