MEADOWFOAM MONOENOIC FATTY-ACID AMIDES AS SLIP AND ANTIBLOCK AGENTS IN POLYOLEFIN FILM

Mixed monounsaturated amides (MMA) of fatty acids from meadowfoam (Lim nanthes alba) were effective slip and antiblocking agents for polyethy lene films. MMA may compete with extant amides as additives for manufa cture of PE films if their selling price is competitive. The MMA (79% cis-5-eicosenoic acid amides, 17% cis-5-, and cis-13-docosenoic acid a mides, and 1% cis-5,cis-13-docosadienoic acid amide) required > 500 pp m but < 1000 ppm dosage to achieve high slip (coefficient of friction < 0.2) within 10 minutes of film blowing. For comparison, erucamide re quired < 250 ppm, oleamide required < 500 ppm, and stearamide required > 1000 ppm to give high slip levels within 10 min. Maximum antiblocki ng effectiveness of MMA, which developed at 1000 ppm, was equivalent t o stearamide at 1000 ppm. (C) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.(sectional s ign)