Saran (plastic)

Last updated
Saran
Product type Plastic wrap
Owner S. C. Johnson & Son
Country United States
Introduced1949;75 years ago (1949)
Previous owners Dow Chemical Company

Saran is a trade name used by S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. for a polyethylene food wrap. The Saran trade name was first owned by Dow Chemical for polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), along with other monomers. The formulation was changed to the less effective polyethylene in 2004 due to the chlorine content of PVDC. [1] [2]

Contents

Since its accidental discovery in 1933, polyvinylidene chloride has been used for a number of commercial and industrial products.

When formed into a thin plastic film, the principal advantages of polyvinylidene chloride, when compared to other plastics, are its ability to adhere to itself and its very low permeability to water vapor, flavor and aroma molecules, and oxygen. This oxygen barrier prevents food spoilage, while the film barrier to flavor and aroma molecules helps food retain its flavor and aroma.

History

Polyvinylidene chloride wrap Saran Wrap 02.JPG
Polyvinylidene chloride wrap

Polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) was discovered at Dow Chemical Company (Michigan, United States) in 1933 when a lab worker, Ralph Wiley, was having trouble washing beakers used in his process of developing a dry-cleaning product. [3] It was initially developed into a spray that was used on US fighter planes and, later, automobile upholstery, to protect them from the elements. Dow Chemical later named the product Saran and eliminated its green hue and offensive odor.

In 1942, fused layers of original-specification PVDC were used to make woven mesh ventilating insoles for newly developed jungle or tropical combat boots made of rubber and canvas. [4] [5] [6] These insoles were tested by experimental Army units in jungle exercises in Panama, Venezuela, and other countries, where they were found to increase the flow of dry outside air to the insole and base of the foot, reducing blisters and tropical ulcers. [5] [6] The PVDC ventilating mesh insole was later adopted by the United States Army for standard issue in its M-1945 and M-1966 Jungle Boots. [4] [5] In 1943, Ralph Wiley and his boss, John Reilly, [7] both employed by Dow Chemical Company, completed the final work needed for the introduction of PVDC, which had been invented in 1939. [8] PVDC monofilaments were also extruded for the first time. [9] The word Saran was formed from a combination of John Reilly's wife's and daughter's names, Sarah and Ann Reilly. [10]

In 1949, Dow introduced Saran Wrap, a thin, clingy plastic wrap that was sold in rolls and used primarily for wrapping food. It quickly became popular for preserving food items stored in the refrigerator. Saran Wrap was later acquired by S. C. Johnson & Son.

After the end of the Vietnam War, the U.S. military phased out PVDC insoles in favor of Poron®, a microcellular urethane, for its jungle and combat boots. [5] However, the British Army continues to use PVDC insoles in its combat boots, primarily because of its insulating properties. [11]

Formulation change to polyethylene

Today's Saran Wrap is no longer composed of PVDC in the United States, due to cost, processing difficulties, and health and environmental concerns with halogenated materials, [1] and is now made from polyethylene. [12] [13] [14] However, polyethylene has a higher oxygen permeability, which in turn affects food spoilage prevention. For example, at 23 °C and 95% relative humidity polyvinylidene chloride has an oxygen permeability of 0.6 cm3 μm m−2 d−1 kPa−1 while low-density polyethylene under the same conditions has an oxygen permeability of 2000 cm3 μm m−2 d−1 kPa−1, or a factor of over 3,000 times more permeable. [15] For that reason, packaging for the meat industry still may use PVDC-containing films, as a barrier layer. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polyvinyl chloride</span> Common synthetic polymer

Polyvinyl chloride (alternatively: poly(vinyl chloride), colloquial: vinyl or polyvinyl; abbreviated: PVC) is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic polymer of plastic (after polyethylene and polypropylene). About 40 million tons of PVC are produced each year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polyethylene</span> Most common thermoplastic polymer

Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging (plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including bottles, etc.). As of 2017, over 100 million tonnes of polyethylene resins are being produced annually, accounting for 34% of the total plastics market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thermoplastic</span> Plastic that softens with heat and hardens on cooling

A thermoplastic, or thermosoftening plastic, is any plastic polymer material that becomes pliable or moldable at a certain elevated temperature and solidifies upon cooling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cork taint</span> Wine fault often attributed to the presence of trichloroanisole (TCA) from the cork

This article talks about TCA, aka Tricloroanisole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polyethylene terephthalate</span> Polymer

Polyethylene terephthalate (or poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P), is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and foods, and thermoforming for manufacturing, and in combination with glass fibre for engineering resins.

Saran may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beef aging</span> Process of preparing beef for consumption

Beef aging or ageing is a process of preparing beef for consumption by aging it, in order to break down the connective tissue within the meat.

Jungle boots are a type of combat boot designed for use in jungle warfare or in hot, wet, and humid environments where a standard leather combat boot would be uncomfortable or unsuitable to wear. Jungle boots have vent holes in the instep and sometimes a canvas upper to aid in ventilation and drainage of moisture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ziploc</span> Brand of resealable plastic bags

Ziploc is an American brand of reusable, re-sealable sliding channel storage bags and containers originally developed and test marketed by The Dow Chemical Company in 1968 and now produced by S. C. Johnson & Son.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic wrap</span> Thin plastic film used for sealing food

Plastic wrap, cling film, Saran wrap, cling wrap, Glad wrap or food wrap is a thin plastic film typically used for sealing food items in containers to keep them fresh over a longer period of time. Plastic wrap, typically sold on rolls in boxes with a cutting edge, clings to many smooth surfaces and can thus remain tight over the opening of a container without adhesive. Common plastic wrap is roughly 0.0005 inches thick. The trend has been to produce thinner plastic wrap, particularly for household use, so now the majority of brands on shelves around the world are 8, 9 or 10 μm thick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Modified atmosphere</span>

Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is the practice of modifying the composition of the internal atmosphere of a package in order to improve the shelf life. The need for this technology for food arises from the short shelf life of food products such as meat, fish, poultry, and dairy in the presence of oxygen. In food, oxygen is readily available for lipid oxidation reactions. Oxygen also helps maintain high respiration rates of fresh produce, which contribute to shortened shelf life. From a microbiological aspect, oxygen encourages the growth of aerobic spoilage microorganisms. Therefore, the reduction of oxygen and its replacement with other gases can reduce or delay oxidation reactions and microbiological spoilage. Oxygen scavengers may also be used to reduce browning due to lipid oxidation by halting the auto-oxidative chemical process. Besides, MAP changes the gaseous atmosphere by incorporating different compositions of gases.

1,1-Dichloroethene, commonly called 1,1-dichloroethylene or vinylidene chloride or 1,1-DCE, is an organochloride with the molecular formula C2H2Cl2. It is a colorless liquid with a sharp odor. Like most chlorocarbons, it is poorly soluble in water, but soluble in organic solvents. 1,1-DCE was the precursor to the original clingwrap, Saran, for food, but this application has been phased out.

Polyvinylidene chloride, or polyvinylidene dichloride (PVDC), is a homopolymer of vinylidene chloride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vacuum packing</span> Method of removing air from package prior to sealing

Vacuum packing is a method of packaging that removes air from the package prior to sealing. This method involves placing items in a plastic film package, removing air from inside and sealing the package. Shrink film is sometimes used to have a tight fit to the contents. The intent of vacuum packing is usually to remove oxygen from the container to extend the shelf life of foods and, with flexible package forms, to reduce the volume of the contents and package.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zipper storage bag</span> Resealable plastic bag

A zipper storage bag,slider storage bag,zipper bag,zip lock bag, or zippie is an inexpensive flexible rectangular storage bag, usually transparent, made of polyethylene or similar plastic, that can be sealed and opened many times, either by a slider, which works in a similar way to a zip fastener, or by pinching together the two sides of a mechanical sealing mechanism with one's fingers. The bags are made in many sizes; a typical small size is 1.5 by 2.5 inches, and a typical large size is 9 by 12 inches. Material thickness (gauge) varies; smaller bags are typically 40 to 45 µm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Food packaging</span> Enclosure and protection of nutritional substances for distribution and sale

Food packaging is a packaging system specifically designed for food and represents one of the most important aspects among the processes involved in the food industry, as it provides protection from chemical, biological and physical alterations. The main goal of food packaging is to provide a practical means of protecting and delivering food goods at a reasonable cost while meeting the needs and expectations of both consumers and industries. Additionally, current trends like sustainability, environmental impact reduction, and shelf-life extension have gradually become among the most important aspects in designing a packaging system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic bottle</span> Narrow-necked container

A plastic bottle is a bottle constructed from high-density or low density plastic. Plastic bottles are typically used to store liquids such as water, soft drinks, motor oil, cooking oil, medicine, shampoo, milk, and ink. The size ranges from very small bottles to large carboys. Consumer blow molded containers often have integral handles or are shaped to facilitate grasping.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commodity plastics</span> Inexpensive plastics with weak mechanical properties

Commodity plastics or commodity polymers are plastics produced in high volumes for applications where exceptional material properties are not needed. In contrast to engineering plastics, commodity plastics tend to be inexpensive to produce and exhibit relatively weak mechanical properties. Some examples of commodity plastics are polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and poly(methyl methacrylate) .Globally, the most widely used thermoplastics include both polypropylene and polyethylene. Products made from commodity plastics include disposable plates, disposable cups, photographic and magnetic tape, clothing, reusable bags, medical trays, and seeding trays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic pipework</span> Tubular section or hollow cylinder made of plastic

Plastic pipe is a tubular section, or hollow cylinder, made of plastic. It is usually, but not necessarily, of circular cross-section, used mainly to convey substances which can flow—liquids and gases (fluids), slurries, powders and masses of small solids. It can also be used for structural applications; hollow pipes are far stiffer per unit weight than solid members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Screw cap (wine)</span> Cap for wine bottles

A screw cap is a metal, normally aluminium, cap that screws onto threads on the neck of a wine bottle, generally with a metal skirt down the neck to resemble the traditional wine capsule ("foil"). A layer of plastic, cork, rubber, or other soft material is used as wad to make a seal with the mouth of the bottle. Its use as an alternative to cork for sealing wine bottles is gaining increasing support. In markets such as Australia and New Zealand screw caps on bottles have overtaken cork to become the most common means of sealing bottles.

References

  1. 1 2 "CEO explains why SC Johnson hobbled Saran Wrap".
  2. Johnson, Fisk (April 2015). "SC Johnson's CEO on Doing the Right Thing, Even when It Hurts Business". Harvard Business Review.
  3. David John Cole; Eve Browning; Fred E. H. Schroeder (30 April 2003). Encyclopedia of Modern Everyday Inventions. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 129. ISBN   978-0-313-31345-5 . Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  4. 1 2 Risch, Erna, The Quartermaster Corps, Washington, D.C.: Office of the Chief of Military History, Dept. of the Army (1953), pp. 108-109
  5. 1 2 3 4 Kearny, Cresson H. (Maj), Jungle Snafus...And Remedies, Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (1996), pp. 179-183
  6. 1 2 Report on Orinoco-Casiquiare-Negro Waterway: Venezuela-Colombia-Brazil, Volume 4, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Office of Inter-American Affairs (July 1943)
  7. "Ludington Daily News - Google News Archive Search".
  8. Office, Government of Canada, Industry Canada, Office of the Deputy Minister, Canadian Intellectual Property (15 June 2015). "Canadian Patent Database / Base de données sur les brevets canadiens".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. "FindArticles.com - CBSi".
  10. "What is the origin of the brand names Saran Wrap and Oral B?".
  11. Westwood, E., Smith, N., and Dyson, R., Comparison of the Influence of Three Types of Military Boot Insoles Upon the Force and Loading Rates Experienced In Drop Jump Landings, Biomechanics Symposia 2001, University of San Francisco (2001), p. 30
  12. "Saran FAQs". Plastic wrap by Saran. 2020-02-05. Archived from the original on 2020-02-05. Retrieved 2021-05-08. What ingredients are in Saran Plastic Wraps? Saran Premium Wrap and our Saran Cling Plus® Wrap are made with Polyethylene.
  13. "Saran Premium Wrap". SC Johnson - What's Inside. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  14. "Saran Cling Plus® Wrap". SC Johnson - What's Inside. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2010-09-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. "PACKAGING OF FRESH AND PROCESSED MEAT". Archived from the original on 2010-04-16.