The barrier plastic packaging industry in the U.S. is a large business. Its size is, in large part, determined by how one defines "barrier" and therefore what resin products and packaging structures are included. Despite the fact that much of the basic technology of barrier plastics is the same, a number of new developments and trends are noticeable.

According to a soon-to-be-released updated report, RP-137U Plastics for Barrier Packaging, from Business Communications Co, Inc, the total U.S. market for the packaging barrier resins amounted to about 5.9 billion lb in 2004 and is expected to grow at an overall AAGR (average annual growth rate) of 8.1% over the next five years to about 8.6 billion lb by 2009. This market is classified into three main groups, differentiated by their barrier functions, namely barrier resins, permeable films, and tie layer resins.

This report is the most recent update in a series of BCC reports, the last published in 2000, that are devoted to the business, technology, and markets for synthetic plastic barrier resins. These resins are used in packaging structures designed to restrict the passage of gases and vapors either into or out of the product inside.

There are six primary barrier resins; with a total U.S. market of about 5.2 billion lb in 2004, and expected to grow at an AAGR of 8.1% to almost 7.7 billion lb in 2009. These resins are:

• Ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymers, the highest oxygen barrier resins now commercially produced and most used in the U.S. for food packaging.


• PCTFE, the fluoropolymer polychlorotrifluoroethylene, the highest moisture or water vapor barrier resin, mostly used for pharmaceutical blister packaging (PBP) for drugs, which are very moisture sensitive.


• Nitrile resins, copolymers of acrylonitrile (AN) with methyl acrylate (MA), used in food, chemical/industrial, and healthcare packaging


• Polyamide (nylon) barrier resins, primarily oriented nylon 6, mostly used in food packaging; also used in chemical/industrial and healthcare product packaging.


• Thermoplastic polyesters, primarily PET, by far the largest market since we include PET's use as a carbon dioxide barrier resin in beverage bottles. This market is expected to continue to constitute more than 90% of the barrier resin market as it grows at an AAGR of 8.3% through the forecast period.


• Polyvinylidene chloride (PVdC), the oldest oxygen barrier resin, used mostly in food packaging. EVOH and other barriers will continue to grow faster and take market share from PVdC.

Vapor-permeable resins are included in our overall analysis of barrier resins. We discuss and forecast markets for three examples of barrier structures that allow some vapor to pass selectively through. These are (1) polyvinyl chloride (PVC), used to package fresh meat because it allows oxygen to pass through and thus keeps meat red and attractive to consumers; (2) Tyvek(r), Dupont's patented and proprietary "spun-bonded" semipermeable polyolefin; and (3) permeable CAP/MAP (controlled/modified atmosphere packaging) films, specially designed films that allow passage of some gases but not others.

Tie layer resins are adhesive resins used to bond dissimilar resins together in the increasingly popular multilayer barrier packaging structures (MLS). Typical tie resins are copolymers of ethylene with vinyl acetate (EVA copolymers) or an acrylic comonomer. We forecast an AAGR for tie resins at about 5.5%, thereby increasing market volume from 155 million lb in 2004 to 203 million lb in 2009.

There are three basic applications markets. The largest is food and beverage packaging, which accounts for more than 90% of the U.S. market for the resins covered in this study. Other smaller but important markets include chemical/industrial products packaging (including automotive gasoline tanks), and healthcare products packaging such as pharmaceutical blister packaging.

Trends in the barrier plastic packaging market include the continuing trend toward more complicated and sophisticated multilayer barrier structures, using more but often thinner layers. Perhaps the most exciting ongoing development is the multifaceted effort to increase the barrier properties of PET to make it a suitable material for packaging beer. Several new methods have been developed and now are being tested. This market could present a significant new opportunity for PET in barrier packaging.