Comment Reduce global warming!
Has the time come to replace flame treatment with corona? By Kevin McKell, chief sales off icer Vetaphone,
here is a clear trend in the packaging production sector that many companies are replacing traditional fl ame treatment with corona treatment on a variety of substrates, especially in the paper and board markets. While historically, fl ame has been the preferred surface treatment, the current shift in
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thinking has been brought about by a variety of factors, not least of which is the rapidly increasing cost of gas across developed markets. But other factors are adding weight to the argument for change. Corona surface treatment has also been around for many years – in fact it was invented by Vetaphone back in the early 1950s. Where fl ame has always been thought of as the shotgun approach for rough and rugged surface treatment, corona was always perceived as a more fi nely targeted approach for more sensitive material. And, in the past, this held true. So, what’s changed? In short, the quality of the paper and boards needing treatment and the capability of the latest corona technology. Modern manufacturing methods have signifi cantly reduced the fi bre and surface contamination from dust and oil in the production environment. This makes corona treatment a more than viable alternative, notwithstanding its energy cost-savings that are already being enjoyed by a growing number of converters.
Let’s be clear. The need for surface treatment, especially in the packaging industry, is a fundamental – no argument! The need to modify the surface structure of certain substrates to allow
them to be converted into packaging items, especially in the food sector, is an accepted part of what is one of the largest global industries, and one that is projected to continue an upward trend for the foreseeable future. The result of both fl ame and corona treatment is the same in that the surface of the substrate is modifi ed to allow better adhesion of liquids such as inks, varnishes and adhesives. This is achieved by breaking up the long molecular chains on the surface to allow oxygen to attach. This increases the surface energy (tension) of the substrate to match that of the liquid, which can then ‘wet-out’ - another way of saying it stops the liquid from ‘beading up’.
So, if the two methods achieve the same, what’s the problem? This issue is that fl ame treatment comes at a price, and one that is not measured solely in monetary terms. In the case of many suppliers to the industry that price is carbon emissions and all that these imply in terms of the environment in which we live. It’s not a new issue but with obvious climate changes being seen worldwide, it is becoming a more prominent problem that needs addressing, and soon. First of all, it’s important to understand exactly
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February 202
www.convertermag.com
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