Markets
Markets for cast and blown film
Cast and blown film extrusion is one of the most versatile and widespread processes in plastics transformation, with applications ranging from food and industrial packaging, to agriculture, construction, and apparel. Rifra supports film producers with color masterbatch, additive, and complex solutions designed to meet the specificities of each technology (cast or blown), each base polymer, and each end application.
Color Masterbatches
Our design rules for color formulations
Rifra has always chosen not to focus on producing standard formulas but to support the Customer in ad hoc developments that maximize color performance in the specific end use. Not codes usable for everything, but a selection of colors that enhance the value the Customer wants to give to their product. In cast and blown film extrusion, the choice of pigment is never neutral: it influences melt strength, printability, transparency, weather resistance, and regulatory compliance. Rifra designs each color formulation taking all these variables into account, in close collaboration with the Customer. The following table is a tool for this ongoing dialogue. It relates the most common critical issues with the mechanisms that generate them and, above all, with the synergistic strategies we can activate together. From our complete range of additives, such as PPAs for die cleaning, anti-blocking agents to prevent adhesion in reels, or slip agents for flowability, to process indications that maximize their effectiveness, each entry is a starting point for targeted technical conversation. We work on the same side of the bench. Your process challenge is our development priority.
| Regulated and high-performance sectors | Values for products | How to obtain value from Rifra formulas |
|---|---|---|
| Toys | Film as visual safety. High-visibility colors for small components. Film as brand vehicle for attractive packaging. Films resistant to tearing and perforation. | Non-toxic pigments compliant with toy regulations. Light stability to prevent fading during in-store display. High dispersion to avoid color hot spots on thin films. Selection of pigments that do not interfere with film sealability for blister packaging. |
| Early Childhood | Film as delicate protection. Pastel and reassuring colors to reduce visual impact. Film soft to the touch and free of harmful substances. | Absolute compliance with regulations for contact with children’s skin (zero migration). Formulas with encapsulated pigments to avoid any release. Possibility of developing custom colors on brand request. |
| Medical | Film as sterile barrier. Colors to distinguish different packages or sterilization levels. Transparent or semi-transparent film for visual inspection of contents. | Exclusive use of pigments approved for medical devices. Formulas resistant to sterilization processes. Support in documentation for final product certification. |
| Electrical / Electronic | Film as ESD protection. Identifying colors for different functions or sensitivity levels. Transparent film for optical reading of codes and components. | Pigments selected not to interfere with antistatic properties of the film. Optimal dispersion to ensure color uniformity on low-thickness extruded films. |
| Automotive | Film as temporary protection for painted surfaces. High-visibility colors to signal the presence of protective film. Film resistant to tearing and solvents. | Pigments stable at high process temperatures. Formulas that leave no residues or halos on the painted surface after removal. Possibility of developing custom colors to distinguish different thicknesses or protection levels. |
| Food Packaging | Film as functional barrier. Colors can provide active protection from light, preserving aromas, vitamins, and preventing oxidation. Safe film: absolute compliance and safety. | Mandatory regulatory compliance with pigments approved for food contact. The pigment must be insoluble in food simulant and not migrate. Excludes many organic dyes, requiring high-purity inorganic pigments or “locked-in” organics. Support in the certification phase. |
| Sectors with high aesthetic impact and durability | Value for manufactured goods | How to obtain value from Rifra formulas |
|---|---|---|
| Furnishing elements | Film as decorative surfaces. Stable colors that do not fade with sunlight and artificial lighting. Films resistant to scratches, stains, and detergents. | Pigments with high resistance to UV rays and artificial light. Formulas that do not yellow over time. Fine dispersion for uniform surfaces without “speckled” effect. Possibility of wood/metal effect through specific masterbatches. |
| Housewares | Transparency or neutral colors that do not alter perception of contents. Films easy to seal and open. | Formulas optimized not to compromise film heat-sealability. Low coefficient of friction for ease of opening. Absence of transferred odors and flavors. |
| Outdoor furniture | Film as protective covering. Colors stable to UV rays and resistant to mold and moisture. Durable film for protection of garden furniture for multiple seasons. | Maximum stability to atmospheric agents with pigments selected for resistance to UV, rain, and thermal shocks. Complex formulas to maintain mechanical properties over time of use. Possibility of custom colors for customer brand. |
| Appliances | Film as temporary protection for steel/plastic surfaces. High-visibility colors to indicate film presence. Easily removable film without residues. | Pigments stable to component forming processes. Adhesive formulas (where integrated) with release force control. No color transfer to protected surface. Possibility of printing logos or warnings on film. |
| Non-food packaging | Film as brand vehicle and/or function indicator. Film as light barrier. Resistant films for content protection. | The pigment must not compromise mechanical properties (tear resistance, impact, elongation). We prefer smooth-surface pigments that do not excessively increase COF, balancing with slip additives. We optimize pigment loading for desired coverage at lowest cost. |
| Specialized high-stress sectors | Value for manufactured goods | How to obtain value from Rifra formulas |
|---|---|---|
| Non-food packaging | Film as heavy packaging for industrial components. Colors for product coding and identification. Films resistant to tearing, perforation, and chemical agents. | Pigments resistant to solvents and aggressive chemical agents. High dispersion to avoid discontinuity points that could trigger tears under load. Optimization of pigment loading to maximize coverage and reduce costs on high thicknesses. |
| Construction | Resistant and durable films. Film as safety indicator (colors to delimit construction sites or zones). Film as decorable fencing elements, surfaces available to communicate information or advertise products and events. | Maximum resistance to atmospheric agents with pigments stable to UV, acid rain, and thermal shocks. Complex formulas to maintain mechanical properties over operational time. Thermal stability in process for thick films extruded at high temperatures, without degradation, fumes, or gels. |
| Apparel / Accessories | Film as extension of luxury experience. Marketing support for original colorations in line with brand value. Film as content protection, selecting color (often combined with UV barriers) to protect garments from fading during transport and in-store display. | High gloss and color saturation with organic pigments of high color strength and fine particle size. Excellent printability, formulas designed not to release additives that prevent adhesion of inks and varnishes. Light stability for point-of-sale. Softness and “hand-feel”: the pigment must not make the film rough. |
| Sports Equipment | Film as inner tubes and inflatable surfaces. High-visibility colors for safety. Films resistant to perforation and repeated flexing. | Pigments selected not to compromise elasticity and fatigue resistance of the film. Formulas that ensure color uniformity even on very thin thicknesses. Abrasion resistance for surfaces in contact with equipment. |
| Agriculture | Film as growth regulator. Specific colors reflect or selectively transmit different wavelengths of light, influencing photosynthesis, ripening, and pest control. Film as thermal regulator (light colors reduce heat stress, dark colors absorb heat warming the soil). Durable film with light stability for entire seasons. | Pigments are selected to withstand the number of seasons established in joint design with the Customer. Spectrophotometric expertise to suggest not just a “color” but a spectral profile for crop growth. No phytotoxicity: we select formulas that do not release ions or metals that inhibit growth. Formulas do not interfere with UV, anti-fog, and thermal stabilizers. |
Additive Masterbatches
Our long-standing additive solutions
When it is necessary to impart specific characteristics to the film, Rifra develops specific solutions by collaborating with active ingredient suppliers and verifying with Customers the best balance between active ingredient quantity on the finished product and desired performance. In cast and blown film extrusion, the Rifra additive range covers all major process and product critical issues: from bubble stability (melt strength) to die cleanliness (PPA, die build-up), from film surface quality (anti-blocking, slip, antistatic) to durability in outdoor applications (anti-UV), through to compliance for regulated sectors (flame retardant, food contact).
| Value for products | Process benefits | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Film with regular thickness, transparent and with smooth and glossy surface. | The production process is preserved with a drastic reduction in filter changes and prolonged control of die cleanliness. Greater control of melt strength with increasing throughput and possibility of reducing working temperatures. | PROCESSING AIDS |
| Film free of specks, gels, or carbonaceous residues. | The film production process becomes more stable, fewer shutdowns for filter replacement or die cleaning from carbonaceous residue inclusions. Excellent control of line restarts. Anti-OX formulas also available in anti-gas fading formulations. | ANTIOXIDANTS |
| Exceptional performance when the product must be used in specific safety and hygiene conditions. | The possibility of presenting to the market a performance guarantee over medium-long duration | BACTERIOSTATIC |
| Films additivated with formulations specifically designed to pass fire reaction tests and standards specific to electronics, construction, or automotive, opening sales in regulated sectors. | Rifra supports its customers by conducting comparative evaluation tests internally and supporting, with its experience, the certification process of the finished product. | FLAME RETARDANT |
| Films easily unwindable from collection reels; maximum performance in film handling. Films with excellent print quality, a surface with controlled roughness provides better adhesion of inks and lacquers, increasing the graphic quality of packaging. | Higher line speed: Reduces machine downtime and slowdowns due to difficult reel unwinding (“stick-slip” effect). Better reel management: Allows safer handling, storage, and transport without the risk of reels internally welding. Minimizes production waste caused by surface defects and film breaks during winding or conversion. Better process window, allowing operation with a wider temperature range without blocking risk, offering greater flexibility and stability to the extrusion line. | ANTI-BLOCKING |
| Film with low coefficient of friction (COF). Ensures surface flowability that facilitates package sliding on conveyor belts in distribution centers and on packaging lines, improving process efficiency. Film with excellent “slippage”. Allows optimal roll sliding during subsequent printing and conversion phases, reducing the risk of tensions and tears that could compromise the graphic quality of finished packaging. Film with “soft and slippery” touch surface. Improves tactile perception of the bag or packaging by the end consumer, positively influencing the user experience. | Better flowability in winding and unwinding. Prevents excessive adhesion between film layers, facilitating compact and uniform winding and, above all, unwinding without hitches during printing or conversion, reducing machine downtime. Increased line speed. A low and controlled coefficient of friction allows operation at higher speeds in extrusion and subsequent processing, maximizing overall productivity. Reduced risk of blocking and wrinkles. Minimizes “stick-slip” phenomena and film adhesion to line guides or rollers, preventing flatness defects and wrinkles that would lead to waste. Precise and repeatable COF control. Allows “calibrating” film flowability based on specific needs of the end customer’s packaging machine, adding technical value and customization to the product. | SLIP AGENT |
| Film for packaging electrical/electronic components | Maximization of process advantages: safety, better printing and packaging performance, ease of reel management. Obtain immediate in-line protection and long-lasting protection over time with a single additive, simplifying stock and recipe management. | SEMI-PERMANENT ANTISTATIC |
| Film with excellent print quality and high packaging speed thanks to the antistatic effect provided during extrusion. | Maximum in-line safety. Prevents electrostatic discharges during extrusion and subsequent processing. Better wetting and printing. By eliminating charge, ink and lacquer adhesion in printing is improved. Ease of winding and cutting. Prevents film adhesion to itself due to static electricity, facilitating unwinding and winding, and reducing defects. | ANTISTATIC |
| Films that do not charge electrostatically, preserving end-user safety from annoying electrostatic discharges (ESD). Films that protect packaged products from ESD-related damage. Films that ensure Dust-Free surfaces during transport and storage, preserving the aesthetic brilliance of packaging. | The particular chemical conformation of the product allows it to be functional even in low relative humidity conditions. | SEMI-PERMANENT ANTISTATIC |
| Protective films for UV-sensitive products, such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, work by preventing photo-degradation, oxidation, and loss of content properties. Films that protect the chromatic stability of the internal product, preventing fading of colors of packaged products (e.g., apparel, toys) caused by light exposure. | The extrusion process is supported as these active ingredients also work as processing aids reducing gel formation during extrusion. | ANTI-UV & UV ABSORBER |
| Films intended for outdoor use, with ability to preserve mechanical properties from UV-induced degradation, while delaying surface deterioration and formation of surface cracks/crazing. Films that maximize color stability and transparency over time prevent yellowing, whitening, or color variation of the polymer, preserving the aesthetic appearance of the finished product for the desired period. Formulas custom-designed for applications such as greenhouse films, covers, protective sheets, and outdoor packaging, ensure long-term performance. | In addition to the qualities they impart to the final product, Rifrachem anti-UV agents ensure thermal stability in process. Using latest-generation HALS, they offer good thermal stability, helping prevent oxidative degradation of the polymer during high-temperature extrusion phases. By minimizing oxidative stress during processing, and contributing to producing a more uniform film with fewer “gels” or unmelted points. More flexible process, because they allow operation at slightly higher process temperatures without polymer degradation, offering greater maneuvering margins to the operator. | ANTI-UV |
| Film as selective thermal regulator. In agriculture (greenhouse films), modifies the transmitted radiation spectrum, retaining long-wave infrared (thermal) heat at night to prevent thermal shocks and protect crops, or reflecting specific daytime IR bands to reduce heat stress. Film as radiant heat barrier. In food packaging, can be formulated to reflect thermal energy, helping maintain a more stable storage temperature and reducing thermal loads on packaged product during transport and storage. Film as downstream process optimizer: Provides differentiated thermal response that improves efficiency of thermoforming, sealing, or infrared wrapping lines of the end customer, ensuring more uniform and controlled heat distribution. | The functionality of these additives involves collateral process advantages. Faster and more controlled bubble cooling: in blown film extrusion, the addition of these additives allows more efficient and uniform bubble cooling, increasing bubble stability itself and allowing increased line speeds. Better control of thickness and flatness: faster and more homogeneous cooling translates into film with better thickness distribution and fewer distortions, reducing waste and improving finished product quality. Increased productivity: the ability to handle higher extrusion speeds thanks to better thermal control allows direct increase in hourly production of the line. Reduced energy consumption: in some cases, more efficient cooling can reduce the load on active cooling systems (air/water), leading to overall energy savings. | INFRARED |
| Certified “flame retardant” films. | Formulations designed to be compatible with base polymers and other additives, minimizing negative interactions during mixing and extrusion. Guaranteed thermal stability, through high-quality formula additives that withstand process temperatures without degrading, preventing formation of odors, fumes, or carbonaceous deposits on the extrusion head. Minimal possible impact on Mechanical Properties. Optimized FR systems allow achieving the required fire protection level while minimally altering film mechanical performance, reducing the need for complex recipe re-designs. Rifra supports its Customers in evaluating the impact of formulation on product mechanics. | FLAME RETARDANT |
| Films that enhance visibility and product presentation, preventing condensation formation on the film itself. Films that protect content integrity, avoiding water condensation dripping, which can accelerate microbiological deterioration of food and cause browning, ensuring longer and intact shelf-life. Agricultural Film, improved diffused transparency promotes uniform plant growth and reduces the “lens” effect of droplets that can burn leaves. | Reduced production waste. During packaging, the absence of condensation on the film improves reliability of heat sealing operations, reducing defects and improperly sealed bags. Higher packaging speed. Packaging machines (e.g., flow-pack, thermoformers) can operate faster and more reliably, as the film is less slippery and more manageable in the presence of condensation. Fewer machine shutdowns. Interventions to clean optics and sensors of packaging machines are reduced, which would otherwise be obstructed by condensation on the film. Controlled migration process. Well-formulated antifog additives are designed to migrate in a controlled and lasting manner to the surface, ensuring consistent performance without peaks that could cause adhesion or odor problems during production. | ANTIFOG |
| Films made with PCR or PIR resins, with significantly improved surface appearance. | Reduced extrusion defects. Minimizes defects caused by in-process hydrolysis, such as microbubbles (“foaming”), gels, poor surface finish, and viscosity variation, leading to more uniform and consistently quality film. Increased productivity and reduced waste. Eliminates downtime for drying and material losses due to degradation, increasing overall line efficiency and process yield. Greater operational flexibility. Allows more agile warehouse material management and faster response to production orders, no longer being constrained by long pre-drying cycles. | DESICCANT |
Complex Masterbatches
Our best formulations: COMPLEX
As in all well-done things, the best result is obtained through “teamwork”. Rifra translates this motto into a preference for solutions that combine color formulation with the most performing chemistries, providing “all-in-one” additivatable structures directly on-site. We cite some of the most widespread solutions, emphasizing that it is in principle always possible to create a complex by combining the desired color with the active ingredients necessary to make the process efficient and enhance the qualities required of the finished product.
| Rifra solutions | Synergistic advantage | Guaranteed efficiency |
|---|---|---|
| RIFRACHEM CX PPA + ANTIOX | Extruded film with perfectly smooth surface and thermally stabilized polymer. PPA reduces melt fracture and die build-up; antioxidant prevents degradation in barrel and die. | Reduced machine downtime for cleaning, stable lot-to-lot MFI, absence of gels and streaks, consistent aesthetic quality. |
| RIFRACHEM CX PPA + UV | Outdoor film with smooth surface and integrated solar protection. Ideal synergy for agricultural sheets, greenhouses, geotextiles, technical facades. | Dimensional and chromatic stability after accelerated aging, less production waste, no post-extrusion intervention. |
| RIFRACHEM CX ANTIOX + UV | Double protection: thermal in process and solar in service. Suitable for long-lasting films (e.g., covers, silos, technical packaging). | Maintenance of mechanical properties after prolonged exposure. Validated for industrial recycling cycles. |
| RIFRACHEM CX FR + PPA | Self-extinguishing film with optimal surface. PPA compensates for increased pressure and friction typical of mineral or halogenated flame retardants. | Stable fire reaction class, absence of surface defects, high productivity even with high-load FR formulations. |
| RIFRACHEM CX ANTISTATIC + PPA | Controlled dissipation of surface charges without compromising flowability in die. Essential for ESD packaging films, industrial bags, cable ducts. | Stable surface resistivity over time, no antistatic/die interaction, homogeneous quality throughout the reel. |
| RIFRACHEM CX ANTIBLOCK + SLIP | Synergistic combination for low coefficient of friction and high opening film. Reduces blocking between reel layers and improves flowability on automatic packaging lines. | Excellent processability, fewer machine tears, more flowing and manageable film. |
| RIFRACHEM CX ANTIFOG + PPA | Film for fresh food or greenhouses: controlled condensation as droplets instead of veil. PPA ensures uniform surface for lasting antifog effect. | Transparent product visibility, reduction of stagnation rot, superior aesthetic quality. |
