ADDITIVES | PACKAGING
Right:
Südpack’s Johannes Remmele holds a prototype chemically recycled PA/PE laminate pack for Zott’s mozzarella cheese
organic UVAs such as hydroxy substituted benzo- phenones and benzotriazole. He says the additive functions through plasmonic absorption and transfer of the absorbed energy to adjacent organic molecules, which causes in-situ transforma- tion mechanisms that boost absorbance by between three and seven times and result in a bathochromic (red) shift. Main applications are seen in packaging films
where there is a need for no migration or extraction and constant long term absorption and transmis- sion properties. The additives are also said to be suitable for outdoor high thermal gradient applica- tions such as silage films and roofing. Webster says UVITA SME 3811 has also been found to be effective in controlling growth of harmful botyris cinera spores in horticultural applications when used in combination with Maxgard 2700 or 2800 UVAs from Lycus Chemicals.
Simplifying film structures Packaging designers are working to eliminate, substitute, or reduce barrier layers such as polyam- ide and EVOH in favour of single material—but often multi-layer—constructions based on PE, PP or PET. Potentially easier to recycle, these mono-mate- rial packages may make use of active additives (such as oxygen absorbers or water-absorbing desiccants) to maintain shelf life. Packaging developers are also considering the use of bio- based and/or biodegradable polymer materials and additive formulations. Last year, researchers at the Technical Univer-
Below: ITENE’s Bioactivelayer project is a biodegradable active packag- ing concept for dehydrated food products
sity of Munich (TUM) and Fraunhofer IVV de- scribed an oxygen scavenger based on gallic acid (GA), which can be derived from plants (
https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2018.00587). They said that GA, which is a building block found in polyphenol, has been tested in monolayer films based on LDPE and in multilayer films with bio- based LLDPE and polylactide. The researchers
looked at the effect of temperature and relative humidity on an oxygen scavenger consisting of GA and sodium carbonate. They concluded that GA-based scavengers are most appropriate for packaging of food with high water activity that is stored at room temperature. While mono-material systems may grow in use, chemical recycling is also being considered as a solution for end-of-life management of multi-layer multi-material packaging, which has evolved over the years into very complex constructions. BASF, Borealis, Südpack and Zott, for example, an- nounced in July that they had collaborated on a pilot project to produce multilayer packaging film using 100% chemically recycled polyamide from BASF in polyethylene from Borealis. Südpack produced the film with 11 ultra-thin layers, includ- ing barrier layers, for mozzarella cheese packaging for the Zott Gourmet Dairy. The high performance film reduces packaging volume to a minimum, according to Johannes Rem- mele, Managing Director of Südpack. The project participants said the design maintained functional- ity but improved environmental performance because of the recycled source of the polymers. “The collaboration between the companies involved made it possible for the first time to consistently certify each step up from the raw material to the finished packaging,” said Maurits van Tol, Borealis Senior Vice President Innovation, Technology & Circular Economy Solutions. The Spanish Research Centre for Packaging,
Transport and Logistics (ITENE) has several projects ongoing in the area of active packaging. At K2019, it showcased its Bioactivelayer packag- ing concept, which is described as a 100% biode- gradable and compostable package for dry and dehydrated food. The multilayer structure is based on biodegradable materials—including biodegrad- able polymers—and an active compound and is
72 COMPOUNDING WORLD | November 2019
www.compoundingworld.com
PHOTO: ITENE
PHOTO: BASF
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