Fogging is a term used to describe the formation of small water droplets on the surface of transparent film. Fogging most commonly occurs when there is a temperature differential between the inside and outside of an enclosed atmosphere. Croda’s anti-fogging additives reduce surface tension which results in a thin and continuous layer of water of the surface.
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Agricultural films are particularly challenging for anti-fogging additives as longevity of performance is key. Different climates as well as multi-layer films are some considerations that need to take place when deciding on which additive and addition level to use.
The use of anti-fogging additives in agricultural films give a number of benefits, including:
Food packaging benefits from anti-fogging additives by maintaining its clarity and transparency so the contents can be clearly seen by the consumer at the point of sale. By adding anti-fogging additives to food packaging films, condensed water droplets are spread into a thin layer rather than droplets. In general, food packaging only require short-term anti-fogging performance that lasts the lifetime of the packaged food.
We were approached by a polypropylene film manufacturer, supplying packaging for refrigerated salads in supermarkets. Using an alternative glycerol based anti-fog the supplier found that performance under cold fog conditions was especially poor, and that their customers were complaining about poor sales due to fog formation. Fog formation can mislead customers into believing that products have been on display for a long time.
We supplied the manufacturer with Atmer 7373, a specially formulated anti-fog for polypropylene. When added at 3.75%, Atmer 7373 dramatically reduced fogging on the packaging. Over 95% of packages showed complete clarity and no droplet build up, with water droplets spread evenly in a continuous layer across the film.