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About the author: Dr. Klaus Noller has worked at the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV for nine years and heads the Materials Development department. He worked for several years in industry before joining the Fraunhofer IVV.
Biopolymer Coatings for Sustainable Packaging
The Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV will present a packaging film having a barrier layer made of whey protein at ICE Europe 2011 (hall B5, stand 1031). This novel packaging film was developed as part of the EU funded "Wheylayer" project. Large quantities of whey arise during cheese manufacture and whey also contains antimicrobial substances which prolong the shelf-lives of foods. The work of the Fraunhofer IVV involved optimizing the barrier properties to oxygen and water vapor and also the antimicrobial effect of the coating. In order to do this, very pure protein isolates were recovered from the whey. The film- forming properties of proteins from sweet and sour whey were optimized by
chemical modification. The result was innovative protein formulations having a high barrier effect and excellent adhesion and resistance to mechanical stress. This means there is no longer a need to use synthetic barrier polymers to coat conventional packaging materials – these can be replaced by the new biopolymer made of whey protein. This reduces CO2 emissions and lowers the usage of material resources for production. The ability to subsequently dissolve the whey layer means that type-pure recycling of the plastic film is possible. The multilayer film was manufactured using a patented roll-to-roll method. This processing method is a key precondition for fulfilling commercial criteria. The products and processes that have thus far been developed on a laboratory and pilot plant scale will be transferred to an industrial scale this year before the end of the project, meaning that the new whey layer material will soon be able to be used in the packaging sector.
The Fraunhofer IVV is also developing coatings from renewable raw materials for paper which can be used, for example, for beverage packaging. The BioPaperCoating project, funded by the Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF), is developing
biocoatings for paper and processes for their manufacture. The aim is to produce biocoatings on paper, paperboard, and cardboard for use as packaging for solid and liquid foods. These new packaging materials will replace the currently used fossil raw material based plastics, and especially polyethylene, in laminated packaging systems. The systems are based on compatible blends of polylactic acids and polyhydroxyalkanoates which unite the benefits of the individual components. At the Fraunhofer IVV the formulations are being tested for coating at near-industrial coating rates and are being optimized in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT. Other functionalities such as an extra co- extruded layer are also being added to the material system.
The FlexPakRenew project, which is being funded under the 7th Framework Programme of the EU, is developing novel flexible papers with multilayer structures (50 to 90 g/m2
) made entirely of
renewable raw materials for food and non-food applications. The multilayer structures in combination with the latest developments in nanotechnology and surface coating allow barrier properties to be achieved that are equivalent to traditional plastic laminates and composites having medium and high barriers. Low permeability to water vapor and oxygen and to fats and flavors is the goal. The environmentally friendly manufacturing process and optimized recyclability or
biodegradability of the material means that the emission of greenhouse gases is reduced. The Fraunhofer IVV is undertaking advanced development of the process of vacuum coating with SiOX
and Al2 O3 in order to optimize the
water vapor and oxygen barriers of the coated papers.
8 – 10 November 2011 Neue Messe München, Munich, Germany
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Branchen News | Industry News
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