Cast films, known for their uniform thickness, smooth surface, and high production efficiency, have become a core packaging choice in food, pharmaceutical, and electronics sectors. With surging market demands for longer shelf life, lightweight solutions, and sustainable packaging, conventional single-material cast films are struggling to meet high-performance requirements.

Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), with its outstanding oxygen barrier properties (10,000 times higher than PE) and 100% recyclability, is emerging as the “golden barrier layer” in multilayer cast film technology—driving the industry toward high value-added applications.

According to the 2024 Global High Barrier Films Market Report, the use of EVOH resin in cast films is growing at an annual rate of 22%, with the market expected to exceed USD 5 billion by 2030. The technological innovation of EVOH cast film production is accelerating the industry's shift toward lightweight and high-barrier packaging.

Driven by global carbon neutrality goals, the new energy vehicle (NEV) market continues to surge. According to the 2023 Global EV Battery Market Report, the power battery packaging materials market is expected to exceed USD 12 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 18%.

However, traditional packaging materials face significant challenges:

Metal casings: Account for up to 25% of the total battery pack weight and are prone to electrolyte degradation due to oxygen ingress;

Engineering plastics (e.g., PA): While lightweight, they lack sufficient barrier properties, making it difficult to balance safety and energy efficiency.

Against this backdrop, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), with its dual advantages of high barrier and lightweight, is emerging as a breakthrough material. According to a 2022 technical white paper by Kuraray Group (Japan), EVOH offers over 1,000 times the oxygen barrier performance of polyethylene (PE), with a density of just 1.14–1.19 g/cm³—perfectly aligned with the NEV sector’s core demands for long range, high safety, and sustainable manufacturing.

According to Grand View Research (2023), the global food packaging industry incurs over $12 billion in annual losses due to material waste and suboptimal performance. Traditional multilayer composite films, which often rely on expensive materials such as nylon, have a recycling rate of less than 20%.

In contrast, EVOH co-extrusion films, known for their exceptional barrier properties and recyclability, are becoming the key to solving cost and efficiency challenges through innovations in materials, process optimization, and intelligent production.

Each year, over 8 million tons of chemical drum packaging waste are generated globally, yet only 15% is recycled (United Nations Environment Programme, 2023). Traditional multilayer composite films, due to material incompatibility, have become a major contributor to landfill waste.

Under the dual pressures of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and China’s “Dual Carbon” goals, monomaterial symmetric EVOH drum films—featuring 100% recyclability and superior barrier performance—are emerging as the core solution to sustainable packaging challenges.

Driven by the dual demands of food safety and sustainable packaging, traditional packaging materials are increasingly unable to meet the high standards of the modern food industry. EVOH high-barrier antibacterial films, offering the dual advantages of "physical isolation + active sterilization," have emerged as a revolutionary solution for extending shelf life and reducing reliance on preservatives.

Under the dual drivers of consumption upgrading and environmental sustainability demands, the application of high-barrier packaging materials continues to expand across food, pharmaceutical, and new energy sectors. As one of the three major high-barrier resins, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) has become the core barrier material in multilayer co-extrusion films, owing to its exceptional oxygen barrier properties, high transparency, chemical resistance, and eco-friendly recyclability. However, EVOH’s unique processing characteristics impose strict requirements on production equipment.

As consumer expectations for food freshness, product safety, and environmental performance continue to rise, selecting the right barrier packaging material has become a strategic priority for manufacturers. Materials such as aluminum foil, PVA, EVOH, PVDC, PEN, PA, and PET each have unique characteristics. But why is EVOH (Ethylene-Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer) emerging as a transformative force in the industry?

Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) is globally recognized as one of the top three high-barrier materials. It offers outstanding oxygen barrier performance (under standard testing conditions of 23°C and 50% RH, its barrier is 10,000 times stronger than PE—source: Kuraray EVAL H171B), along with excellent transparency, solvent resistance, and recyclability.

The hydroxyl groups in its molecular structure make EVOH plastic hydrophilic; however, this is effectively compensated through multilayer co-extrusion with materials such as PE and PA. EVOH pellets is widely used in high-end sectors such as food packaging, automotive manufacturing, and medical devices. Free of chlorine and dioxins, EVOH granules aligns with global sustainability trends and serves as an ideal alternative to traditional PVDC materials.

According to the Smithers 2024 Global High-Barrier Materials Report, EVOH now holds a 42% penetration rate in food packaging. However, improper material selection can increase costs by up to 20%. With the EU's PPWR regulation (requiring 70% recycling rate by 2030) and the CBAM carbon tariff (effective from 2024), compliance risks are at an all-time high.

As a leading EVOH resin supplier, we leverage benchmark cases from top players like Anjoy Foods and BYD to decode the scientific logic behind EVOH thickness and structure selection—compatible with the latest regulatory frameworks in China, the EU, the U.S., and Southeast Asia—helping companies reduce costs and enhance efficiency.

According to the 2024 China Ready-to-Eat Food Industry Development Blue Book jointly released by the China Cuisine Association and iiMedia Research, the market size of ready-to-eat meals in China is projected to reach ¥680 billion, with high-temperature sterilized products accounting for 58% of the total. However, traditional packaging solutions suffer from poor oxygen barrier properties, inadequate heat resistance, and limited recyclability, resulting in annual industry losses exceeding ¥12 billion (China Packaging Federation, 2024).

As a core supplier of EVOH polymer, we have introduced the "EVOH-Based High-Temperature Sterilization Packaging Solution for Ready Meals", leveraging technological innovation to directly address the critical challenges of packaging upgrades in this fast-growing sector.