What is Polyethylene Naphthalate?

Polyethylene phthalate (PEN) is an important member of the polyester family. It is formed by polycondensation of dimethyl-2,6-naphthalic acid and ethylene glycol. In its molecular chain, the naphthalene ring replaces the benzene ring structure of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), resulting in better mechanical properties, a higher gas barrier effect, and better heat resistance. Polyethylene naphthalate resin​ (PEN) is mainly used in the fields of films, fibers, hollow bodies, and plates.

Polyethylene Naphthalate Performance Characteristics

Gas Barrier Properties

Since naphthalene has a rather flat structure, one of the most outstanding properties of PEN is its excellent gas barrier effect. The water barrier of PEN is 3 to 4 times higher than that of PET, the oxygen and carbon dioxide barrier is 4 to 5 times higher, and the water barrier is 3.5 times higher than that of PET. Its barrier properties are comparable to those of PVDC and are not affected by humid environments. Therefore, PEN is suitable as a packaging material for beverages and foodstuffs and can significantly extend the shelf life of products.

Chemical Stability Performance

PEN has good chemical resistance, is resistant to organic solutions and chemicals, and has better acid and alkali resistance than PET. Due to its good airtightness and relatively high molecular weight, PEN tends less to precipitate oligomers than PET at actual operating temperatures. However, at processing temperatures that are higher than in PET, the amount of lower aldehydes released during decomposition is also lower than in PET.

Heat Resistance Performance

The naphthalene ring increases the aromaticity of the macromolecule and gives PEN better thermal properties than PET. After 500 hours of storage at 130° C. in humid air, the elongation loss of PEN is only 10%. After 10 hours of storage at 180°C in dry air, the tensile strength is still 50%. PET, on the other hand, becomes brittle under the same conditions and is no longer usable. The melting point of PEN is 265 °C, which is similar to that of PET, while its glass transition temperature is over 120 °C, which is about 50 °C higher than that of PET.

UV Radiation Resistance Performance

The bicyclic structure of naphthalene has a high UV absorption capacity, whereby PEN can shield UV radiation below 380 nm; its shielding effect is significantly better than that of PC. In addition, the optomechanical strength of PEN decreases only slightly, its light resistance is about five times that of PET, and after irradiation, the tensile strength is only slightly reduced; its radiation resistance is ten times that of PET in vacuo and four times that of PET in an oxygen atmosphere.

Polyethylene Naphthalate (PEN) VS Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

Polyethylene Naphthalate Uses

PEN film is mainly used in the baseband of magnetic tapes, flexible printed circuit boards, capacitor films, F-class insulation films, and other fields. In addition, due to the good heat resistance and film strength of PEN film, it also has certain development prospects for use in automotive sensors and insulation components.

Why Choose Kerton Chemicals as Your Raw Material Supplier?

When sourcing high-quality chemical raw materials like PEN and PET in the polyethylene naphthalate market, Kerton Chemicals is your reliable ​polyethylene naphthalate suppliers​ with strict quality control, internationally compliant product standards, complete technical documents, and stable supply capacity.
Kerton Chemicals offers competitive polyethylene naphthalate pricie and flexible order support for both bulk and trial orders, plus one-stop professional services covering technical consultation, customized solutions, logistics arrangements, and thoughtful after-sales support.

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