frequently asked questions
frequently asked questions
Curious about our water soluble films?
Curious about our water soluble films?
- All
- Advantages
- Applications
- Biodegradability
- Literature
- Material Properties
- Microplastics
- Polyvinyl Alcohol
- Recyclable
- Shelf Life
- Toxicity
- Wheatley Q. y Baines F. (1976) Biodegradation of Polyvinyl Alcohol in Wastewater, Textile Chemist & Colorist . Feb76, Vol. 8 Issue 2, p28-33.
- DeMerlis C.C. y Schoneker D.R.(2002) Review of the oral toxicity of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), Food and Chemical Toxicology. Vol. 41, p319-326.
- Hallensleben M. (2000) Polyvinyl Compounds, Others, Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim.
- Chiellini E. Corti A. D’Antone S. Solaro R. (2000) Biodegradation of poly (vinyl alcohol) based materials, Prog. Polym. Sci. 28 (2003) 963–1014.
- Byrne D. Boeije G. Croft I. Hüttmann G. Luijkx G. Meier F. Parulekar Y. Stijntjes G. (2020) Biodegradability of Polyvinyl Alcohol Based Film Used for Liquid Detergent Capsules, The Journal Tenside Surfactants Detergents.
Yes. More and more countries are adopting policies of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), an environmental protection strategy to reach an environmental objective by making the manufacturer of the product responsible for the entire life-cycle of the product and especially for the take-back, recycling and final disposal. Using a PVA based packaging innovation is way to address EPR programs. PVA film is water soluble and biodegradable which makes and ideal eco-option to traditional packaging systems.
INFHIDRO‘s water soluble films completely dissolve once in contact with water without leaving any harmful residues, they are biodegradable and totally safe to environment. Therefore, more and more industries/sectors are using INFHIDRO’s water soluble film since it helps them to reduce their environmental footprints.
INFHIDRO’s water soluble films completely dissolve once in contact with water and naturally break down into water / carbon dioxide when consumed by bacterial microorganism. A large variety of naturally occurring microorganisms have been proven to degrade PVA without leaving any harmful residue.
PVA can be degraded by photothermal, oxidation and biological processes (microbial and biochemical attacks). Different studies show that at least 20 different types of bacteria and various molds and yeasts break down PVOH, turning it into carbon dioxide, water and biomass.
PVA is non-toxic. It is widely used for packaging household and food products, in medical applications for coating capsules and tablets, as a component of artificial tears, and in the cosmetic sector to join chemical components. Toxicological studies show that the degree of absorption of this substance by the body is minimal, so its oral consumption is approved.
INFHIDRO’s water soluble films are made of Polyynyl Alcohol, also known as PVOH or PVA, which is a synthetic polymer that is soluble in water. PVA can be injected, welded, printed or thermoformed. It is widely used for packaging in mono-dose/capsule/packs format different concentrated chemicals such as dyes, cleaning products, laundry detergents, septic tank activators, agrochemicals, among others.
PVOH or Polyvinyl Alcohol is a synthetic organic polymer. It is created through the hydrolysis of polyvinyl acetate, which removes the acetate groups and replaces them with hydroxyl groups (-OH). Its particular property is to be water soluble and biodegradable in an aqueous environment.
INFHIDRO’s water soluble films are made of Polyvinyl Alcohol, also known as PVOH, PVA which is a synthetic polymer that is soluble in water. PVA can be injected, welded, printed or thermoformed. It is widely used for packaging in mono-dose/capsule/packs format different concentrated chemicals such as dyes, cleaning products, laundry detergents, septic tank activators, agrochemicals, among others.
Yes. PVOH (polyvinyl alcohol homopolymer) and PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) are essentially the same thing. PVOH is an abbreviation for polyvinyl alcohol homopolymer, which refers to the polymer formed by the hydrolysis of polyvinyl acetate. The terms PVOH and PVA are often used interchangeably to describe this water-soluble synthetic polymer.
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) films exhibit several key properties that make them suitable for various applications:
- Barrier Properties: PVOH films have excellent barrier properties against gases, including oxygen and aroma compounds, as well as oils and greases,
- Water Solubility: PVOH films are highly soluble in water, which enables them to dissolve and disintegrate when exposed to water or moisture,
- Transparency: PVOH films offer good optical clarity, allowing for high visibility of packaged products,
- Mechanical Strenght: PVOH films exhibit high tensile strength and puncture resistance,
- Biodegradability: PVOH films are considered biodegradable under appropriate conditions. When exposed to certain environmental conditions, such as moisture and microorganisms, PVOH films can degrade over time, reducing their environmental impact compared to non-biodegradable plastics,
- Thermal Stability: PVOH films have good thermal stability, allowing them to maintain their integrity at moderate temperatures,
- Printable: PVOH films are printable and do not require no corona treatment,
- Anti-static: PVOH films are electrostatic resistant.
Yes. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) is considered to be recyclable, but the recyclability of PVOH depends on several factors, including local recycling infrastructure, collection systems, and the availability of recycling processes that can handle PVOH.
PVOH film is very stable so it can be stored for more than two years as long as the film is kept out of water.
Different researches show that PVOH does not generate microplastics.