06 Jan 2025Plastic packaging air bubbles are called bubble wrap or air bubble film. Bubble film is a material commonly used to package and protect items, especially during transportation, it can effectively reduce the vibration and impact of items. The production process of bubble film, the different filling gases and their functions.
Bubble film is generally made by a blown film extruder, which includes the following steps:
• Material selection: The main material of bubble film is polyethylene (PE) film, which is a soft and durable plastic with good impact resistance and plasticity.
• Film blowing machine process: The film blowing machine is the core equipment for making bubble film. It heats and melts polyethylene resin, and then forms a film by extrusion and blowing. In this process, one layer of the bubble film will be blown into a hollow bubble shape, and the other layer of the film will be combined with it.
• Extrusion and blow molding: Through the extrusion port of the film blowing machine, the molten plastic material is extruded and blown into a film by air flow. Then, the film is stretched, cooled and rolled up to form a continuous film. During this process, the bubble structure of the bubble film will gradually form.
• Heat sealing process: The two layers of bubble film are combined through the heat sealing process to ensure that the bubbles in the middle are fixed in the film to prevent gas leakage. When heat sealing, a closed bubble structure is usually formed between the two layers of film.
• Forming and cutting: After the bubble film is completed, it will be rolled into a large roll and cut into pieces of different sizes as needed for different customers and needs.
The bubbles of bubble film are usually filled with air, but in some special cases, other gases may also be filled:
• Air: Most bubble films are filled with air because air is the most common and economical filler. It can provide a good cushioning effect and prevent items from being damaged during transportation.
• Nitrogen: In some demanding packaging applications, bubble film may be filled with nitrogen. Nitrogen is more stable than air and is not easy to diffuse, so it is suitable for some products that need to be stored for a long time or have specific requirements for packaging gas.
• Other gases: In special cases, bubble film can also be filled with other inert gases, such as helium, carbon dioxide, etc., which are usually used for high-end packaging needs, especially in the protection of high-tech products or medicines.
Different gas fillings will affect the performance of bubble film, especially its compressive strength and gas leakage rate. For example, nitrogen bubble film can maintain a longer protective effect, while air bubble film has a lower cost and is suitable for most general packaging needs.
The main function of bubble film is buffering and protection. The following are its specific functions:
• Impact resistance: Bubble film can absorb and disperse impact force, reduce the impact of external forces on internal items, and is especially suitable for packaging fragile items (such as glass, electronic products, etc.).
• Shockproof: The bubbles in the bubble film act as a buffer layer, which can effectively reduce the transmission of vibration and reduce the risk of damage to items during transportation.
• Decompression protection: Bubble film can evenly distribute pressure to prevent the packaged items from being compressed and deformed during long-term transportation or stacking.
• Sound insulation and moisture proof: Since the bubble film has a certain thickness, it can also play a role in sound insulation and moisture proof, which is suitable for some products that need to protect the environment.
Bubble film is widely used in many industries, mainly including:
• Electronic product packaging: such as the transportation and storage of electronic products such as mobile phones, televisions, and computers.
• Furniture and household items: such as glass furniture, ceramic utensils, etc.
• Food packaging: For some foods that need to be kept fresh for a long time (such as certain fruits and vegetables), bubble film can also be used as packaging material.
• Medicine and medical devices: Some medicines and medical devices require special protection, and bubble film can effectively prevent damage.
• Other fragile items: such as artworks, glass products, etc.
Although bubble film is effective in protecting packaging, it also faces environmental issues. Most bubble films are made of plastic and are difficult to degrade, so they have a greater impact on the environment. In recent years, some companies have tried to use degradable materials (such as bio-based plastics) to make bubble film to reduce its environmental burden. In addition, bubble film is usually mixed with other waste during the recycling process and needs to be sorted and processed.
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