Nanolayer coextrusion is a specialized manufacturing process that creates materials with hundreds to thousands of ultra-thin layers, delivering film properties that far surpass conventional plastics. This technology has a track record of scalable innovation in packaging, energy, medical, and defense applications. Yet, the process and vendor landscape can be confusing, making it critical for companies to know what to expect and how to evaluate a coextrusion partner.
Nanolayer coextrusion builds films with precisely engineered, multi-layer architectures, enabling manufacturers to tailor barrier, dielectric, optical, and mechanical properties. This results in higher strength, clarity, custom permeability, and superior performance—often with reduced material use and broader design flexibility. Nanolayered films can be directly produced and evaluated by companies to quickly validate scale-up potential and real-world performance, utilizing existing polymer material combinations.
Nanolayer coextrusion is an advanced melt extrusion technique that enables the creation of continuous cast films from 0.5 to 250 mils thick that are constructed from tens, hundreds, or even thousands of internal layered domains, each as thin as 25–50 nanometers. Unlike conventional coextrusion (2–11 layers), nanolayer approaches multiply layer counts into the hundreds or thousands through specialized fedblocks and/or sequential layer multiplication dies to confine and order polymer materials and initiate film property enhancements.
Layer Multiplication: The process begins by extruding multiple polymer streams into a feed block, which initially forms a basic layered structure. This structure is then split and recombined repeatedly using multiplication dies, exponentially increasing the total layer count. Each multiplication step halves the layer thickness until the individual nanolayers reach the desired range.
Polymer Compatibility: Success in nanolayer coextrusion depends on selecting polymer pairs with similar melt viscosities and adequate interfacial adhesion. Viscosity matching minimizes flow instability, helps maintain layer uniformity, and enables tight control over polymer morphology.
Precision Control: Modern systems allow flexibility in layered film structure based on desired film properties. Layered “gradient”, A/B, A/B/A, A/B/C, A/B/C/B/A architectures are achievable in structures with 2 to thousands of internal layers. Unique Performance Outcomes
Interface Engineering: As individual layers approach the nanometer scale, polymer chains become confined, which can drastically alter crystallinity, gas permeability, and dielectric properties. For example, nanolayered polyethylene films exhibit a 100-fold reduction in oxygen transmission, achieving barrier performance comparable to high-grade nylon.
Structure-Property Relationships: Nanolayer films leverage confinement effects and interfacial phenomena to boost optical clarity, strength, permeability, resistance to gas and water, and dielectric response beyond what is possible with bulk blends or conventional laminates.
Multifunctional Films: Custom architectures allow one film to combine multiple targeted functions, such as electromagnetic shielding and gas barrier, with reduced material usage, weight, and cost.
Proof-of-concept Development Trials: Small-scale nanolayered coextrusion trials designed to screen material selection, layer architecture, and establish film processing conditions. Samples can be characterized via analytical techniques to validate film-level value propositions.
Pilot Runs: Trials using pilot-scale lines recreate full-production conditions— including wide webs, overall thickness uniformity, and rate/throughput studies —to confirm layer uniformity, morphology, and performance outcomes. Sample scale enables customer prototype testing and conversion into devices/products before committing resources to commercialization.
Production Extrusion: Trials spanning continuous days/weeks/months to produce thousands to millions of pounds of layered film products for integration into final products. Coextrusion systems and tooling are usually material and composition-specific at this scale, limiting flexibility to incorporate new products without additional capital investment.
Advanced Testing: Typical validation includes microscopy (scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical, or atomic force – AFM). Material thermal analysis and spectrophotometry are available to confirm product composition. Additional testing services include gas/water vapor barrier, dielectric, and mechanical tests to benchmark films against industry and application requirements.
By harnessing nanolayer coextrusion and material science, Peak Nano offers access to metamaterials and advanced film structures with properties unattainable by legacy processes, enabling innovation across packaging, medical, energy, and defense sectors.
Many decision-makers wonder:
Selecting the right partner means evaluating:
The risks of a poor coextrusion partner include:
Peak Nano offers end-to-end, U.S.-based nanolayer coextrusion services trusted across energy, medical, defense, and advanced packaging. Our proprietary NanoPlex™ metamaterials unlock film performance beyond conventional plastics. With a collaborative model, pairing trial runs and material science support, we deliver more than just machine time. Our supply chain is secure and allied-sourced for long-term confidence.
Choosing the right nanolayer coextrusion partner is key to successful film innovation. Peak Nano combines technical collaboration, pilot trials, and secure U.S.-based supply so you can de-risk your development and scale with confidence.
Contact Peak Nano today to schedule your coextrusion trial and take your film technology to the next level. Reach out to sales@peaknano.com.