How can a film biaxial stretching apparatus optimize the biaxially oriented structure of new bio-based degradable films to improve their overall performance?

Publish Time: 2025-10-28

With increasingly stringent environmental regulations and the growing popularity of sustainable development, bio-based degradable films, as green alternatives to traditional plastics, are becoming a hot topic in materials research and development. However, these films often struggle to meet the requirements of high-end packaging or industrial applications in terms of mechanical strength, thermal stability, and barrier properties. Insufficient molecular chain orientation is a key factor hindering performance improvement. As an advanced experimental device, the film biaxial stretching apparatus can effectively optimize the biaxially oriented structure of bio-based films by precisely controlling stretching process parameters, significantly improving their overall performance.

1. Achieving Ordered Molecular Chain Orientation and Crystallization Control

The core function of biaxial stretching is to induce the polymer chains to align in an orderly manner along the stretching direction, forming an oriented structure. Bio-based degradable materials have relatively rigid molecular chains and slow crystallization rates. Direct film formation often results in low orientation and poorly isotropic mechanical properties. Equipped with a high-precision clamping assembly and a stretching mechanism, the film biaxial stretching apparatus can perform simultaneous or sequential biaxial stretching of film samples at a preset temperature. In the stable thermal field provided by the hot oven assembly, the molecular chains gain sufficient mobility, stretching and aligning in both the longitudinal and transverse directions under the action of the stretching force, thus forming a highly oriented microstructure. This orderly arrangement significantly improves the film's tensile strength, modulus, and tear resistance, overcoming the inherent mechanical property shortcomings of bio-based materials.

2. Precise Control of Stretching Process Parameters to Optimize Oriented Structure

The film biaxial stretching apparatus's outstanding advantage lies in its precise control of process parameters. The stretch ratio, stretching speed, stretching temperature, and stretching method are key variables influencing the oriented structure. The apparatus uses an electrical control system to precisely set and adjust these parameters in real time. For example, increasing the stretch ratio appropriately can enhance molecular chain orientation, but excessive stretch ratios can cause film breakage. Optimizing the stretching speed, on the other hand, helps balance the orientation and relaxation processes, avoiding defects. By comparing multiple sets of experiments, researchers can systematically study the influence of various parameters on film properties and identify the optimal process window. Furthermore, the pneumatic air curtain assembly provides rapid cooling and finalization after stretching, locking in the oriented structure and preventing molecular chain retraction, ensuring stable performance.

3. Improved Functionality and Application Adaptability

Biaxially stretched bio-based films not only exhibit significantly enhanced mechanical properties but also enhanced functionality. The oriented structure reduces free volume between molecular chains, thereby improving the film's gas and water vapor barrier properties and extending the shelf life of the packaged contents. Furthermore, the orientation process enhances the film's transparency and surface gloss, improving its appearance. For downstream applications requiring heat sealing, printing, or lamination, the optimized film exhibits improved surface uniformity and enhanced processing adaptability. These comprehensive performance improvements bring bio-based degradable films closer to the performance of traditional petroleum-based films, expanding their application prospects in areas such as food packaging, medical consumables, and agricultural mulch films.

4. Accelerating R&D and Supporting Material Innovation

The film biaxial stretching instrument features an integrated data acquisition system that records parameters such as force, displacement, and temperature in real time during the stretching process, ensuring high accuracy and excellent repeatability of experimental data. Its ergonomic modular design makes the instrument easy to operate and significantly improves experimental efficiency. Researchers can quickly conduct comparative experiments across multiple formulations and process conditions, quickly identifying the optimal material system and process solution, significantly shortening the development cycle for new bio-based films. This is of great significance for promoting the industrialization of biodegradable materials.

In summary, the film biaxial stretching apparatus, by precisely controlling key parameters such as temperature, speed, and ratio during the stretching process, effectively optimizes the biaxially oriented structure of bio-based degradable films, significantly improving their mechanical properties, barrier properties, and processing adaptability. As an ideal experimental platform for the development of new materials, it not only provides technical support for breakthroughs in material performance but also injects strong momentum into the rapid development of green packaging materials.