Glossary

The ability to stop or retard the movement of one substance through another. In packaging, the term is most commonly used to describe the ability of a material to stop or retard the passage of atmospheric gases, water vapour, and volatile flavour and aroma ingredients.

A film that has been stretched under certain temperature conditions equally in both the machine and transverse directions. Biaxial stretched films are generally well balanced in both directions and much stronger in terms of tear strength.

A type of packaging in which the item is secured between a preformed (usually transparent plastic) dome or "bubble" and another surface or "carrier". Attachment may be by stapling, heat-sealing, gluing, or other means.

Plastic films produced from synthetic resins (such as polyethylene) by the blown process. In this process, the molten resin is extruded through a circular die into a tube. This tube is expanded (“blown”) by internal air pressure into a larger bubble with a much reduced wall thickness and cooled with external air quenching.

Bi-axially Oriented Nylon film, with excellent oxygen and aroma barrier properties, (see Nylon), but it is a poor water vapour barrier. BON is much stiffer than cast nylon film, but cannot be thermoformed.