Film for coffee packaging
Coffee asks the pack for three barriers at once: oxygen, moisture and aroma. Two routes carry them here — a full PE structure with metallized PE as the core, or a clear PP structure with AlOx-coated BOPP. The grade sheet decides; the roast does not.
What the pack has to do
Four jobs, in the order a specification usually lists them. Only three of them have a number on the grade sheet — and one of those numbers is only comparable when its test condition is quoted beside it.
| Requirement | What it protects | On the grade sheet |
|---|---|---|
| Oxygen | Roast lipids and aroma compounds oxidising after the pack is closed | OTR · 23 °C / 0 % RH |
| Moisture | Roast gaining or losing water, which changes the brew | WVTR · 38 °C / 90 % RH |
| Aroma | Volatile compounds leaving through the film | Compared on the oxygen value |
| Light | A roast that must stay out of the light in a clear pack | A design choice: clear AlOx or metallized |
Which grade carries it
The structure decides the grade, not the other way round. A PE structure takes the metallized PE route; a PP structure takes AlOx-coated BOPP.
- PE structure VMNCPE barrier core
- 40–100 µm per order · OTR ≤ 1 · WVTR ≤ 1
- PE structure VMCPE sealant
- 40 µm standard 50–80 µm made to order
- PP structure ALOX BOPP-A
- 18 µm OTR ≤ 1, typ. 0.63 · WVTR ≤ 1, typ. 0.89
- High-barrier flat pack ALOX PET
- 12.0–12.5 µm OTR typ. 0.11–1.55
Ground, whole bean, or a clear window
Ground coffee is the harder case: more surface exposed, so the oxygen figure carries more of the decision. A three-layer PE structure with VMNCPE as the barrier core is the ordinary answer, with VMCPE providing the heat-seal face.
Whole bean packs usually run faster and care more about seal strength on a VFFS line; the same metallized PE route covers both, at a sealant gauge chosen for the machine.
The valve is a converter decision
Degassing valves are applied after the film is printed and laminated. We supply the web, not the finished pack: the valve type, its position and its size are settled by the converter or the packer, and confirmed on the trial rather than on the grade sheet.
When clear is the requirement
AlOx keeps the pack transparent because it is an oxide layer, not a metal layer. If the brief asks for maximum light barrier instead, the metallized route is the one to trial — the two do different jobs and the grade sheet says which is which.
Structures converters run
Starting points, not fixed recipes. Each one is quoted against the converting process you actually run, and the trial decides the gauge.
| Pack | Typical structure | Grade in the structure | What it buys |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roasted and ground, three-layer PE | PE / VMNCPE / VMCPE | VMNCPE core · VMCPE seal | Oxygen and moisture barrier inside one polymer stream |
| Whole bean, VFFS bag | PE / VMCPE / PE | VMPE sealant | Heat-sealable barrier web with a printable outer face |
| Clear flat pouch or window | PP / AlOx-BOPP / PP | ALOX BOPP-A | Transparent barrier with the roast still visible |
| High-barrier flat bottom | PET / AlOx-PET / PE | ALOX PET | Transparent barrier where the process rules out BOPP |
Other application notes: snacks and confectionery · documentation and samples.
Questions before the trial
If the answer you need is not here, ask it directly — technical questions get an engineer's reply, not a brochure.
Which grade should I trial for ground coffee?
Start from the structure. For a PE structure, VMNCPE as the barrier core with VMCPE as the sealant; for a PP structure, ALOX BOPP-A at 18 µm. The trial confirms the gauge and the seal window on your line.
Does the film work with a degassing valve?
The film supplies the barrier; the valve is applied by the converter or packer after lamination. Its type, position and size are their decision, and the trial is where a valve placement is confirmed against the pack.
Is a clear AlOx pack enough for coffee?
It depends on what the brief asks for. AlOx BOPP-A carries OTR ≤ 1 (typical 0.63) and WVTR ≤ 1 (typical 0.89), and keeps the pack transparent. Aroma and light are the two requirements that often push a coffee pack to metallized PE instead.
What should I write in my own specification?
Write the condition with the number: OTR at 23 °C / 0 % RH to GB/T 19789 / ASTM D3985, and WVTR at 38 °C / 90 % RH to GB/T 26253 / ASTM E398. A barrier figure without its condition cannot be compared with another supplier's.
Can I get a sample at my width?
Yes. A4 sheets are free; a sample roll ships at the minimum order of one roll, slit to your width, with its dimension sheet and lot data.
Trial a coffee structure
Tell us the structure you run, the gauge and the width. The sample roll ships with its lot data; the OTR of the finished pack goes on the grade record when you send it back.
- Sales
- sales@recyclepac.com
- Phone
- +86 532 6776 6956
- Works
- Qingdao, Shandong, China