Flexible gas barrier films protect sensitive goods from decomposition due to environmental influences (e.g. oxygen or water vapour) and significantly extend their service life. They therefore contribute to sustainable management in terms of long product life cycles and reduced waste. The encapsulation of sensitive optoelectronic components in particular, such as lightweight and flexible photovoltaic modules, requires minimal oxygen and water vapour permeability combined with flexibility and transparency.

In a project funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU), researchers from the Barrier and Precision Coatings research department at the IOM are working with the company Innovative Oberflächentechnologien GmbH (IOT) to develop technologies for refining recycled polyester films. Ultraviolet light is used to convert molecules into solid coatings that give the substrates an improved gas barrier effect. Demonstrators for barrier films based on rPET are produced for various fields of application and evaluated by users.