Most people believe that packages and containers are simply manufactured, filled, and sent to the stores. But the packaging world can be much more complex than you might initially realize. For example, fluorination is one of the most crucial packaging and design solutions, yet most people have never heard of it. Take a minute to learn all about the fluorination process.
What Is Fluorination?
It’s an unfortunate reality that plastic bottles can begin to lose their shape if they sit out on the shelf for too long—a process known as paneling. Paneling happens when the walls of the bottle lose their structural integrity and begin to sink in on themselves. Fluorination is one of the packaging and design solutions created to halt the paneling process.
How Does It Work?
Containers to be fluorinated are loaded in large stainless steel bins, placed in a chamber, and exposed to a mixture of gases, including elemental fluorine. This gas causes carbon-fluorine bonding on the interior and exterior of the container, thereby creating a barrier between the contents of the container and the container walls. This new barrier reduces or eliminates the migration of potentially aggressive chemicals and significantly increases a bottle’s shelf life.
