Multi-layer films and process for preparation thereof

Abstract: The invention provides a multi-layer film having 1 to 4 polyamide layers, characterized in that at least one polyamide layer comprises about 50 to about 95% by weight of a crystalline polyamide and about 50 to about 5% by weight of an amorphous polyamide and that the multi-layer film is produced by stretching a flat film at least in the lateral direction; and a process for preparing the multi-layer film.

Description: The present invention relates to a multi-layer film having at least two crystalline polyamide containing layers and a process for preparing the same. Multi-layer films having crystalline polyamide layers are widely used for packaging foods and other products because of their toughness and excellent gas barrier property. However, multi-layer films having crystalline polyamide layers entail the following problem. In manufacture of such multi-layer films on an industrial scale, a flat film extruded as from a T-die in extrusion molding is likely to rupture when stretched and is difficult to stably stretch. For this reason, these multi-layer films have been usually produced by extruding a tube by the inflation method. The multi-layer films produced by the inflation method are irregular in thickness and show a big difference between the smallest and largest thicknesses as measured in their entirety so that the films tend to form waves and bowing with lapse of time, making it difficult or impossible to accurately and rapidly perform, e.g., printing, particularly multicolor printing, working the film into bags and so on. EP-A-65 278 discloses, i.a., a multi-layer film one of the layers whereof is formed from a blend of 40-60% b.w. of nylon 6,6 and 20-30% b.w. of an amorphous polyamide. The film may be stretched and is said to be flat. EP-A-358 038 discloses a film comprising a nylon resin blend of an amorphous nylon copolymer and 10-90% b.w. of a crystalline copolyamide, said film being prepared by first forming the resins into a tube. EP-A-408 390 discloses a multi-layer film comprising a layer of a blend of 85 to 95% b.w. of nylon 6,6 and 5 to 15% b.w. of an amorphous polyamide. Said film may be produced by extrusion through a flat film die. It is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-layer film having at least two polyamide layers which is free of the foregoing prior art problem and which is produced by consecutively biaxially stretching a flat film to give a film that is regular in thickness. It is another object of the invention to provide a process for preparing the above multi-layer film, said process being capable of producing the multi-layer film on an industrial scale. These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the following description. According to the present invention, there is provided a multi-layer film comprising at least three layers wherein a layer of saponified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (D-1) having an ethylene content of 20 to 65 mole% and a saponification value of at least 90% is sandwiched between mixed polyamides layers (A), said mixed polyamides layer (A) comprising 50 to 95% by weight of a crystalline polyamide and 50 to 5% by weight of an amorphous polyamide, said multi-layer film being one produced by consecutively biaxially stretching a flat film. The present inventors' research revealed the following. When a mixture comprising a crystalline polyamide and a specific amount of an amorphous polyamide (hereinafter referred to as "mixed polyamides layer (A)" or simply as "A") is used to form at least two polyamide layers in the above multi-layer film, the multi-layer film is imparted a remarkably improved stretchability, and a flat film extruded from a T-die can be easily biaxially stretched on an industrial scale without rupturing. The multi-layer film can achieve the improvement of stretchability due to the presence of the mixed polyamides layers (A). More specifically, because of the presence of the mixed polyamides layers (A), the multi-layer film of the invention is not only enhanced in the toughness and gas barrier property among the inherent characteristics of polyamides, but also made regular in thickness on biaxially stretching of a flat film, making it possible to accurately and rapidly perform, e.g. printing, particularly multicolor printing and formation of bags. The term "crystalline polyamide" and the term "amorphous polyamide" used throughout the specification and the appended claims refer to a polyamide which is crystalline and a polyamide which is not crystalline, respectively, according to the standards for terminology in the art. These two types of polyamides can be distinguished for example by the following test. A non-stretched film specimen of polyamide (100 µm in thickness) is subjected to X-ray diffraction in a chamber at 22°C and 50% RH using a goniometer and passing a current of 60 mA at a voltage of 30 KV under the conditions of scanning angle of 5 to 40°, scanning rate of 3°/min and slit at 1°, 1°, 0.15° from the specimen side. The film indicating no crystal peak can be identified as an amorphous polyamide, and the film showing crystal peaks as a crystalline polyamide. According to the invention, the crystalline polyamide is used for the mixed polyamides layer (A), or is used to constitute other polyamide layer or layers than the mixed polyamides layers (A) among a plurality of polyamide layers in the multi-layer film. Crystalline polyamides which are useful in the present invention include a variety of aliphatic and aromatic crystalline polyamides widely used in the field of films as packaging materials. Examples of useful aliphatic crystalline polyamides are nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 610, nylon 12, a copolymer of nylon 6 and nylon 66, a copolymer of nylon 6 and nylon 610 and a copolymer of nylon 6 and nylon 12. Among them, preferred are nylon 6 and a copolymer of nylon 6 and nylon 66. Useful aromatic crystalline polyamides are various and include those having an aromatic ring in the main chain and/or the side chain, such as polyxylylene-type polymers prepared by polycondensation of meta- or para-xylylenediamine and dicarboxylic acid having 4 to 12 carbon atoms. Preferred among useful aromatic crystalline polyamides is polymetaxylyleneadipamide synthesized from metaxylylenediamine and adipic acid. Such polymers have characteristics including a high gas barrier property, low water absorption capacity and low moisture permeability. The above crystalline polyamides are usable singly or at least two of them can be used in mixture. A blend of aliphatic and aromatic polyamides, of course, can be used in the present invention. In this case, it is suitable to use a blend of 3 to 900 parts by weight, preferably 30 to 200 parts by weight, of aromatic polyamide per 100 parts by weight of aliphatic polyamide. According to the invention, the mixed polyamides layer (A) is formed of a mixture comprising the crystalline polyamide and a specific amount of the amorphous polyamide. Examples of useful amorphous polyamides are copolymers or terpolymers prepared using e.g. terephthalic acid and isophthalic acid and hexamethylenediamine. The amorphous polyamide exhibits a high gas barrier property under high humidity conditions. In the present invention, the mixed polyamides layers (A) comprise 50 to 95% by weight of the crystalline polyamide and 50 to 5% by weight of the amorphous polyamide. When the amount of the amorphous polyamide is less than 5% by weight, it is difficult to biaxially stretch a flat film. When not less than 50% by weight of amorphous polyamide is used, the layer (A) is deprived of the toughness among the inherent characteristics of polyamides. Preferred amounts of the two polyamides are 75 to 95% by weight of the crystalline polyamide and 25 to 5% by weight of the amorphous polyamide. Essentially the mixed polyamides layers (A) in the multi-layer film of the invention contain the crystalline polyamide and the amorphous polyamide in the above ratio. The layers (A) may contain other components which do not adversely affect the characteristics of the layers (A). The multi-layer film of the invention has 3 or more layers in total, usually 3 to 7 layers in total, which include 2 to 4 polyamide layers. It is essential in the invention that at least two of 2 to 4 polyamide layers be the mixed polyamides layers (A). The layers other than the mixed polyamides layer (A), polyamide layers and layer (D-1) are composed of resins different from polyamides. For example, olefin resins are desirable as such resins. Examples of useful olefin resins are homopolymers or copolymers of olefins, copolymers of olefins and other comonomers copolymerizable with olefins such as vinyl monomers and modified olefin resins. More specific examples of useful olefin resins are homopolymers and copolymers of olefins, such as low- to high-density polyethylenes (including low-density linear polyethylenes), polypropylenes and polybutenes, copolymers thereof, ionomers, ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers. Typical examples of modified olefin resins are modified olefin resins prepared by copolymerization, e.g. graft copolymerization, of olefin resins with a suitable unsaturated carboxylic acid such as maleic acid, fumaric acid and acrylic acid or a derivative such as an anhydride, ester or metal salt thereof. Useful modified olefin resins include mixtures of the above modified polymers alone or along with other components such as other olefin resins. These modified olefin resins can be suitably used as the adhesive resin layer in the present invention. Useful adhesive resins are not specifically limited to the modified olefin resins and include other resins such as ionomer resins, ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymers and ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers. Among the foregoing olefin resins, desirable are low-density polyethylenes, low-density linear polyethylenes, ionomers, modified olefin resins and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers. These olefin resins are usable singly or at least two of them can be used in mixture. The layer of such olefin resin can be conveniently used to form a heat sealing layer. Gas barrier resins can be used for other layers. Useful gas barrier resins include said crystalline polyamides, acrylonitrile polymers, vinylidene chloride polymers, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers (e.g. saponified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers having an ethylene content of 20 to 65 mole% and a saponification value of 90% or more employed for layer D-1) and aliphatic and/or aromatic polyamides, polyesters. The saponified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer for use in layer (D-1) has an ethylene content of 20 to 65 mole%, preferably 25 to 50 mole% and a saponification value of 90% or more, preferably 99% or more (hereinafter referred to as "EVOH"). However, EVOH has the drawbacks of exhibiting poor mechanical strength and tending to show unsatisfactory stretchability, as found in crystalline polyamide. In forming a multi-layer film having an EVOH layer and a polyamide layer, a flat film extruded from a T-die or the like is difficult to stretch on an industrial basis, usually necessitating the formation of film by inflation method. For this reason, multi-layer films having an EVOH layer and a polyamide layer suffer the problem of thickness irregularity. For applications which require a high mechanical strength and an excellent gas barrier property, an attempt may be made to provide a multi-layer film having an EVOH layer placed between polyamide layers, but the obtained film is given a further diminished stretchability. The present inventors' research found the following. When the multi-layer film has an EVOH layer (D-1) interposed between two mixed polyamides layers (A), the obtained film is given a markedly improved stretchability despite the presence of the EVOH layer and a flat film can be easily biaxially stretched. The multi-layer films of the invention include not only the foregoing laminates of layers superposed as above, but also other laminates in which one or more olefin resin layers (C) and other layers are superposed thereon and/or thereunder. As described above, the multi-layer film of the invention has the EVOH layer (D-1) sandwiched between the mixed polyamides layers (A),(A). These three layers all have a gas barrier property, so that the film is excellent in gas barrier property. Further the film is made tougher by reinforcing the fragile EVOH layer (D-1) with the mixed polyamide layers (A),(A) and, due to stretching of flat film, is imparted a regular thickness. The multi-layer films of the invention have 2 to 4 polyamide layers among which at least two layers are the mixed polyamides layers (A), and the other polyamide layer or layers, if present, are a crystalline polyamide layer or layers (E), optionally in combination with one or more olefin resin layers (C) and one or more other gas barrier layers (D) than the layers (A) and (E). The present multi-layer film has a structure of the gas barrier layer (D-1) sandwiched between the layers (A), (A), if required in combination with one or more olefin resin layers (C) and one or more gas barrier layers (D-2) other than the layers (A), (D-1) and (E). If necessary, an adhesive resin layer (B) such as a modified olefin resin layer may be inserted between these layers. The EVOH layer (D-1) is not necessarily interposed between the two polyamide layers (A), (A) and suffices insofar as it is superposed on the layer (A) with the adhesive resin layer (B) adhered therebetween. Various combinations of resins layers can be used in the formation of multi-layer films according to the invention. Given below are examples of preferred combinations in which the alphabetical symbols used designate the following resin layers. A: Mixed polyamides layer B: Modified olefin resin layer C: Unmodified or modified olefin resin layer D-1: EVOH layer D-2: Other gas barrier resin layer than layers (A) and (D-1) E: Crystalline polyamide layer A/D-1/A A/D-1/A/B/C, C/B/A/D-1/A/B/C, B/A/D-1/A/B/C, A/D-1/B/A/B/C, A/D-1/A/D-1 or D-2/A, A/D-1/A/D-1 or D-2/E, A or E/D-1 or D-2/A or E/D-1 or D-2/A or E/D-1 or D-2/A comprising at least one sequence A/D-1/A, A/D-1 or D-2/A/D-1 or D-2/A/D-1 or D-2/E comprising at least one sequence A/D-1/A. In any of these combinations, a plurality of layers (B) may be formed of the same or different modified olefin resins, and a plurality of layers (C) may be formed of the same or different unmodified or modified olefin resins. In the above combinations, the layer (B) may be replaced by an ionomer resin layer, and the outermost layer may be replaced by a vinylidene chloride resin layer or a coated vinylidene chloride resin layer, at least as long as the structural element A/D-1/A is still present therein. The overall thickness of the multi-layer film according to the invention is not specifically limited and can be suitably determined according to the utility and the purpose of the film. Yet typically the overall thickness of the film is in the range of 8 to 100 µm, preferably 10 to 80 µm. The thickness of each mixed polyamides layer (A) ranges from 2 to 40 µm, preferably 3 to 30 µm. The thickness of each EVOH layer (D-1) ranges from 1 to 30 µm, preferably 2 to 20 µm. The thickness of each modified olefin resin layer (B) serving as the adhesive resin layer ranges from 1 to 10 µm, preferably 2 to 7 µm. The thickness of each unmodified or modified olefin resin layer (C) for imparting a heat sealing property ranges from 1 to 50 µm, preferably 2 to 40 µm. The oxygen permeability of the multi-layer film of the invention is not specifically limited. Although variable over a wide range, a suitable oxygen permeability level to be achieved by, for example, a multi-layer film having a structure of A/D-1/A, may be 20 cc/m² or less per 24 hr in the atmosphere (20°C, 65% RH), preferably about 10 cc/m² or less per 24 hr in the atmosphere (20°C, 65% RH). The multi-layer films of the invention may be heat-shrinkable, or may have little or no heat shrinkability according to a specific application. The percent heat shrinkage of the heat-shrinkable multi-layer film is not specifically limited and may be suitably selected. For example, the film may have a percent heat shrinkage, as measured by immersion of film in a hot water bath of 90°C for 30 seconds, in the range of 5 to 50%, preferably 10 to 30%, in the longitudinal direction, and 5 to 50%, preferably 10 to 30%, in the lateral direction, or 0 to 15%, preferably 2 to 8%, in the longitudinal direction, and 10 to 50%, preferably 15 to 40%, in the lateral direction. Such heat-shrinkable film can be suitably used for various modes of shrink packaging. For example when used for shrink packaging of meat products and the like, the heat-shrinkable film of the invention can cover the meat product to achieve a close contact therewith, thereby preventing accumulation of gravy or the like which might occur after lapse of time. The film of the invention having little or no heat shrinkability may have a percent heat shrinkability, when immersed in a hot water bath of 90°C for 30 seconds, in the range of 5% or less, preferably 0 to 3%, in the longitudinal direction, and 5% or less, preferably 0 to 3%, in the lateral direction. These multi-layer films are useful for applications as packaging materials or for other purposes in which heat shrinkability is or is not required. In preparation of a multi-layer film according to the invention, a flat film is formed and sequentially stretched. A flat film is extruded usually from a T-die by means of co-extrusion techniques, and is sequentially biaxially stretched. The film formation is not specifically limited. Usually a flat film is forced out onto a chill roll by extrusion casting and is stretched in a sequential manner. Generally the required stretching is conducted in the longitudinal direction by a roll stretching device and in the lateral direction by a tenter to which the stretching means, however, are not specifically limited. The stretching conditions depend on the properties of the polymers used for the multi-layer film and are not critical. Biaxial stretching is, for example, conducted to achieve drawing 2 to 5 times in the longitudinal direction and 2 to 6 times in the lateral direction (the order of longitudinal and lateral stretching may be reverse). Longitudinal stretching is performed at 60 to 120°C, preferably 70 to 100°C, and lateral stretching at 70 to 180°C, preferably 100 to 160°C. After stretching, heat treatment is effected when so required. Yet heat treatment may be dispensed with when a film of high heat shrinkability is produced. Heat treatment can be performed by any suitable means, frequently by a tenter sequentially on lateral stretching. The film to be heat-treated may be one laterally lessened in tension by up to 20%, preferably 3 to 10%, or one having the same width as, or a width longer than, in lateral stretching. The temperature for heat treatment is variable with the preparation of a heat-shrinkable multi-layer film or a multi-layer film having little or no heat shrinkability. The temperature is generally in a low temperature range in the former case and in a high temperature range in the latter case. For example, in preparing a heat-shrinkable multi-layer film, the film may be heat-treated by a tenter at a temperature of not higher than 150°C, preferably 80 to 130°C, when required in a state as laterally lessened in tension by 20% or less, preferably 3 to 10%. In preparing a multi-layer film with little or no heat shrinkability, the film may be heat-treated by a tenter at a temperature of not lower than 150°C, preferably 180 to 250°C, when required in a state as laterally lessened in tension by 20% or less, preferably 3 to 10%. However, these conditions are described only as examples to which the invention is not limited. In preparing a heat-shrinkable multi-layer film, heat treatment is performed to prevent spontaneous shrinkage presumably unlike the heat treatment in preparing a multi-layer film having little or no heat shrinkability and intended to be conducted to reduce the heat shrinkability. The multi-layer films of the invention can be used for various applications, for example, as packaging materials for foods such as meat, processed meat products, retort pouch foods, moist foods, microwave oven-cookable foods, frozen foods, and for other products. The film can be also made into containers by deep drawing. In short, the multi-layer films of the invention find uses not specifically limited and are employable for a wide range of applications in various fields. The multi-layer films of the invention are used in the various modes of packaging. For example, the films are overlapped after wrapping up, or are used in packaging as a sleeve, or can be heat-sealed into a bag. The films are provided as a tube to be heat-sealed in longitudinal direction and can be used merely by cutting the film to length. In short, the films of the invention can be used by various methods which are not specifically limited. The present invention will be described below in greater detail with reference to the following examples and comparison examples. Reference Example Forced out from a T-die by co-extrusion onto a chill roll with cooling water being circulated therein was a flat three-layer film composed of a mixed polyamides layer (A) consisting of 80% by weight of nylon 6 and 20% by weight of a copolymer prepared using terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid and hexamethylenediamine, an adhesive resin layer (B) containing a low-density modified linear polyethylene and a low-density linear polyethylene, and a low-density linear polyethylene layer (C) superposed in this order. The flat film was stretched 3 times in the longitudinal direction by a roll stretching device at 80°C, and stretched 3.5 times in the lateral direction by a tenter in the atmosphere at 120°C. Then the film was heat-treated for fixation by the same tenter in the atmosphere at 100°C while the tension of the film is relaxed by about 4%. The three layers (A), (B) and (C) in the obtained film were 10, 2 and 20 µm, respectively in the thickness. The film had a percent heat shrinkage of 15% in the longitudinal direction and 20% in the lateral direction as measured by immersion in hot water of 90°C for 30 seconds. The film attained a maximum thickness difference of 3.0 µm and was regular in thickness. The term "maximum thickness difference" used herein refers to a difference between the largest and the smallest thicknesses among the measurements obtained at ten spots spaced equidistantly from each other in the lateral direction, the ten spots being positioned in a film area trimmed over a distance of 10 cm from the grip end of the tenter clip. Example 1 Forced out from a T-die by co-extrusion onto a chill roll with cooling water being circulated therein was a flat three-layer film composed of two mixed polyamides layers (A), (A) each consisting of 90% by weight of nylon 6 and 10% by weight of the same amorphous polyamide as used in the Reference Example, and a layer (D-1) of saponified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer having an ethylene content of 44 mole% and a saponification value of not lower than 99% (melting point 164°C) so that the three layers were superposed in the order of A/D-1/A. The flat film was stretched 3 times in the longitudinal direction by a roll stretching device at 80°C, and stretched 3.5 times in the lateral direction by a tenter in the atmosphere at 140°C. Then the film was heat-treated for fixation by the same tenter in the atmosphere at 100°C while the tension of the film was laterally relaxed by about 4%. The three layers (A), (D-1) and (A) in the obtained film were all 5 µm in the thickness. The film had a percent heat shrinkage of 15% in the longitudinal direction and 20% in the lateral direction as measured by immersion in hot water of 90°C for 30 seconds. The film attained a maximum thickness difference of 3.0 µm and was regular in thickness. The oxygen permeability of the film was 7 cc/m² per 24 hr in the atmosphere (20°C, 65% RH). Comparison Example 1 An attempt was made to prepare a heat-shrinkable multi-layer film by the same procedure as in Example 1 except that a polyamide layer formed of only nylon 6 was used in place of the mixed polyamide layers (A) used in Example 1. The flat film, however, was ruptured at numerous locations when stretched by a tenter under the same conditions as in Example 1, making it impossible to achieve stable stretching. Example 2 Using the same resins as used in Example 1, a flat three-layer film with the layers superposed in the order of A/D-1/A was forced out from a T-die by co-extrusion onto a chill roll with cooling water being circulated therein. The flat film was stretched 3 times in the longitudinal direction by a roll stretching device at 80°C, and stretched 3.5 times in the lateral direction by a tenter in the atmosphere at 140°C. Then the film was heat-treated for fixation by the same tenter in the atmosphere at 210°C while the tension of the film was lessened by about 4%. In this way, there were produced two multi-layer films in which the D-1 layer in one of the films was differentiated in the thickness from the corresponding layer in the other by changing the number of revolutions of screw rotated during the film formation. The three layers A, D-1, A in the films were 5, 5, 5 µm and 5, 10, 5 µm, respectively in the thickness. The films had a percent heat shrinkage of 1% both in the longitudinal direction and in the lateral direction as measured by immersion in hot water of 90°C for 30 seconds. The films attained a maximum thickness difference of 3.0 µm and was regular in thickness. The oxygen permeability values of the films were 7 cc/m² per/ 24 hr in the atmosphere (20°C, 65% RH) and 4 cc/m² per 24 hr in the atmosphere (20°C, 65% RH). Examples 3 to 8 In Example 3, a heat-shrinkable multi-layer film was prepared from the same resins as used in Example 1 in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the film was composed of 5 layers of A/D-1/A/B/C (B=low-density modified linear polyethylene and C=low-density linear polyethylene). In Example 4, a multi-layer film having a low heat shrinkability was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the heat treatment was conducted in the atmosphere at 210°C. In Examples 5 to 8, multi-layer films were prepared in the same manner as in the Reference Example under the producing conditions (materials used, thickness, stretching temperature, stretch ratio, heat-treating temperature, etc.) as shown below in Table 1. In Table 1, the following symbols indicate: LL: low-density linear polyethylene LL₁: low-density high-melting linear polyethylene LL₂: low-density low-melting linear polyethylene MLL: a mixture of low-density modified linear polyethylene and low-density linear polyethylene PA: a mixture of nylon 6 and amorphous polyamide (resin of the type used in Reference Example) PP: polypropylene MPP: a mixture of modified polypropylene and polypropylene PA₁: a mixture of 100 parts by weight of nylon 6, 100 parts of aromatic polyamide and 20 parts by weight (9.1% by weight) of the same copolymer as used in Reference Example as the component for the layer (A) PA₂ indicates a nylon 6-nylon 66 copolymer. The multi-layer films thus obtained had the characteristics and desirable uses as described below. The multi-layer film prepared in Example 3 was preferably usable as a heat-shrinkable packaging material for boiled foods, meat and other foods and as a casing for processed meat products. The multi-layer film prepared in Example 4 had the same characteristics as the film of Example 3, and was useful for non-heat shrink packaging in the same field as described in Example 3 and also employable as a packaging material for frozen foods and other foods. The multi-layer film prepared in Example 5 had an enhanced sealing property. The multi-layer film prepared in Example 6 had an increased heat resistance. The multi-layer film prepared in Example 7 had an increased heat resistance and was suitable as a packaging material for retort pouch food. The multi-layer film prepared in Example 8 was suited as a packaging material for foods and others which require a high degree of gas barrier property. The above applications are only desirable ones to which the obtained multi-layer films are not limited.

Claims: A multi-layer film comprising at least three layers wherein a layer of saponified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (D-1) having an ethylene content of 20 to 65 mole% and a saponification value of at least 90% is sandwiched between mixed polyamides layers (A), said mixed polyamides layer (A) comprising 50 to 95% by weight of a crystalline polyamide and 50 to 5% by weight of an amorphous polyamide, said multi-layer film being one produced by consecutively biaxially stretching a flat film. A multi-layer film according to claim 1 wherein at least one of an unmodified and a modified olefin resin layer (C) is laminated over one or both of the mixed polyamides layers (A). A multi-layer film according to claim 1 wherein at least one of an unmodified and a modified olefin resin layer (C) is adjacent to one or both of the mixed polyamides layers (A). A multi-layer film according to claim 1 which, in addition to the three layers, contains at least one layer selected from a mixed polyamides layer (A) and a crystalline polyamide layer (E), and has a total of at least five layers. A multi-layer film according to claim 1 wherein the film is heat-shrinkable and has a percent heat shrinkage, as measured by immersion in a hot water bath of 90°C for 30 seconds, in the range of 5 to 50% in the longitudinal direction and 5 to 50% in the lateral direction. A multi-layer film according to claim 1 wherein the film has a percent heat-shrinkage, as measured by immersion in a hot water bath of 90°C for 30 seconds, in the range of up to 5% in the longitudinal direction and up to 5% in the lateral direction. A multi-layer film according to any one of claims 1 - 6 wherein the crystalline polyamide is at least one of aliphatic crystalline polyamide and aromatic crystalline polyamide. A multi-layer film according to claim 7 wherein the aliphatic crystalline polyamide is at least one member selected from nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 610, nylon 12, a copolymer of nylon 6 and nylon 66, and a copolymer of nylon 6 and nylon 610. A multi-layer film according to claim 7 wherein the aromatic crystalline polyamide is a polyxylylene-type polymer prepared by polycondensation of meta- or para-xylylenediamine and a dicarboxylic acid having 4 to 12 carbon atoms. A multi-layer film according to any one of claims 1 - 9 wherein the amorphous polyamide is a polymer which is substantially not crystalline or non-crystalline and which is prepared from an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and a diamine. A multi-layer film according to claim 10 wherein the aromatic dicarboxylic acid is terephthalic acid and/or isophthalic acid and the diamine is hexamethylenediamine. A multi-layer film according to claim 1 wherein the film is sequentially biaxially stretched 2 to 5 times in the longitudinal direction and 2 to 6 times in the lateral direction. A multi-layer film according to any one of claims 1 - 12 wherein a heat treatment is conducted sequentially on sequential biaxial stretching. A multi-layer film according to any one of claims 1 - 13 wherein the film has an oxygen permeability of 20 cm³/m² or less per 24 hrs in the atmosphere (20°C, 65% RH). A process for preparing a multi-layer film according to claim 1 which comprises the steps of forcing out from a T-die by co-extrusion a multi-layer film comprising at least three layers wherein a layer of saponified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (D-1) having an ethylene content of 20 to 65 mole% and a saponification value of at least 90% is sandwiched between mixed polyamides layers (A), said mixed polyamides layer (A) comprising 50 to 95% by weight of a crystalline polyamide and 50 to 5% by weight of an amorphous polyamide, and biaxially stretching the resulting flat film. A process according to claim 15 wherein a heat treatment is conducted after stretching. A process according to claim 16 wherein the heat treatment is conducted by a tenter at a temperature of lower than 150°C. A process according to claim 16 wherein the heat treatment is conducted by a tenter at a temperature of higher than 150°C to thereby obtain a multi-layer film having little or no heat shrinkability.

Inventors: IWAMI MASAAKI, KURIU HIROKI, MATSUMOTO YOSHINORI, MITA AKIRA, UENO KAZUFUMI, WADA YOSHIHIRO, IWAMI, MASAAKI, KURIU, HIROKI, MATSUMOTO, YOSHINORI, MITA, AKIRA, UENO, KAZUFUMI, WADA, YOSHIHIRO, Kuriu, Hiroki, c/o Moriyama Factory, Matsumoto, Yoshinori, c/o Moriyama Factory, Mita, Akira, c/o Moriyama Factory, Ueno, Kazufumi, c/o Moriyama Factory, Wada, Yoshihiro, c/o Moriyama Factory
Applicants: GUNZE KK, GUNZE LIMITED
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B32B27
IPC codes: B32B27