Liquid packaging is the largest market segment for extrusion coating.  Over recent years, there were three major developments in the growth of extrusion coated liquid packaging boards.

The first development took place when wax-impregnated milk cartons were replaced by two-sided extrusion coatings.  This application is still commonly used for packaging of pasteurised milk.

The second major step happened when peroxide sterilising was accepted for the manufacture of aluminum laminated / coated paperboard aseptic packaging for juices and UHT-milk.

The most recent development was the replacement of aluminum foil by using oxygen barrier polymers in extrusion coating.  This has enabled packaging of long shelf life products containing vitamins and nutrients, as well as various flavours.

LLDPE grades are also used for packaging for oily products which require superior sealing and ESCR properties.