Dr. Gulden Yilmaz – JongboomWageningen UR, NL

Sustainable packaging; role of nanotechnology

History

Medieval stained glass and ancient pottery get some of their colors from nano-pigments

Nanoscale gold particles for orange, red, or greenish color, depending on particle size

Outline

Sustainability and sustainable packaging Nano-technology

Relevance of nano-technology for packagingCurrent approachesChallengesExamples

SustainabilityWhat does it mean?

No specific definitionDictionary says:

to maintain; to keep going continuouslyStrict international requirements on how the term is used in self declared environmental claimsISO 14021:“Claims of sustainability shall not be made”

“Sustainability is a journey not a destination”

People

Economic indicators

Profitability Recycling and reuse Energy recovery ratioGeographical sales distributionRaw material consumptionTrade of materials

Environmental indicators

EmissionsRaw material consumptionFuel/energy consumptionTotal water consumption Waste generated

Social indicatorsEmploymentInvolvement of different social sectorsSocial acceptance

Planet

Profit

Packaging

Function is to contain, store, sort, organize, protect, promote or transport products or substances

A short cycle product used in combination with other products and interacting with surrounding environment

Key consideration and influences

Demographic and lifestyle changesConsumer perception and demandsInfluence of goverments and NGOsTechnological developmentsMarket for packaging materials expected to exceed $500 billion in sales

Demand for materials & energy will increaseEnvironmental impact will increaseEspecially with the growth in developing countries!

Our motivation for sustainability

Limiting the environmental impactSecurity of supply of materials and resources Securing the market share; our business Meet and exceed the needs and expectations

Sustainability is and will remain a key issue!

Sustainable packaging?

No exact definition, but a vision*

Designed holistically, with the product, to minimize the environmental impact of bothMade from responsibly resourced materialsDesigned to be effective and safe throughout its life cycleMeet market criteria for performance and costMeet consumer choice and expectationsBe recovered efficiently after use wherever possible

* Europen

Beneficial and safe throughout its production and lifecycle for the community, environment and industry

Some inspiration..Amigos International, (NL) selected a bio high-barrier film for to wrap its new range of chocolate

Burgerville’s (USA) launch new compostable econtainer ® soft drink cups; made by International Paper and uses PLA coating & lid for water barrier to create a water-resistant barrier.

Atria (FI) implements Stora Enso’s new DeLight fiber-based solution.

Global Green USA’s Coalition for Resource Recovery (CORR), Mountaire Farms, and Interstate Container now use recyclable, wax-alternative boxes in their largest poultry plant. They reduce costs and environmental impact.

Different strategies for sustainabilityImproved material and resources managementImproved life cycle performance/end of life perspectivesAdded functionality

Intelligent packaging(Communicative & active)

How can we do it?Raw material efficiency

Raw material choice and use (fibre and other)Improved waste management Added value creation

Process efficiencyConversion of raw materials Processes, processing aids

Package efficiency/economic perspectivesBetter packagesLess weightPossible savingsAlternative/new applications

It means..

Maximize benefits with existing materials and processesNew materials, processes and productsConsidering availability, sufficiency, economic and technical feasibilityNano-technology is a valuable tool in our toolbox

What is nanotechnology?

Deals with the extreme miniaturization and creation of materials with a very fine structure.

one or more dimension between 1 and 100 nanometers (1 nm = 0.000000001 m)

Ability to control or manipulate on atomic scaleUnique properties & functions

Dissecting a 1 cm cube of any material into 1 nm cubes increases the total combined surface area some ten million times.

Potentially a very large market

20.800.000 hits on Google, 2.330.00 on packaging!Over 15 billion USD invested in research employing 400.000 researchers annuallyVarious applicationsOne estimate by the Lux Research says that 15% (by value) of all products will contain nanotechnology by the year 2014.

First publicly available database

By Woodrow Wilson International Centre for ScholarsAs of March 10, 2011, the nanotechnology consumer products inventory contains 1317 products or product lines. As of March 2011, the inventory has grown by nearly 521% (from 212 to 1317 products) since it was released in March 2006.

Nanotechnology applications in packaging

Three basic categoriesEnhancement of plastic materials barriers/other propertiesIncorporation of active components that can deliver functional attributes beyond those of conventional active packagingSensing and signaling of relevant information

Current approachesNano-coatings

Mainly for barrier

Nano-composites Barrier Other performance improvements/functionality

Nano-additivesAdded functionality ( antimicrobial etc.)Processing aid

Sensors, RFIDs, displaysQuality enhancementCommunication

Nano-coatings

Applied mainly for barrier enhancement in packagingProduced using different technologies

Vacuum depositionEvaporation, EB evaporationPlasma

Nano-coatings: Metallized film

Replacement for foil laminatesNot labeled as “nano”Generally Al but also other metalsMany variations, different substrates

(Pet and PP most common)Thickness 40-50 nm

Nano-coatings: SiOx /AlOx coatings

Different substrates ( PET, PP even PLA)Transparent filmsDifferent technologies for application40-200 nm thickness

Nano-coatings: Amorphous carbon

Referred to as diamond like20- 200 nm thick

Sidel’s Actis system (vacuum plasma), 20-200 nmMitsubishi Shoji Plastics, (radio frequency plasma), 20-40 nm

Nano-compositesPioneering work by the Toyota group (Nylon/ clay)Nano particles and nanofibres/nanotubes

Particular interest are the nano-clays (layered silicates)Other nano minerals available too (Calcium Carbonate, magnesium silicate)

Benefits in packaging applicationsMechanical properties (tensile and flexural)Barrier Flame retardancyTransparency

Nano-composites : Clay

Most common montmorilloniteIntercalated or exfoliatedVarious methods of preparation

Intercalation of polymer –and prepolymer from solutionIn situ intercalative polymerisationMelt mixing technique

Different polymers, including biopolymersCommercial use mainly in barrier improvement

Clay dispersion in a polymer matrix

Nano-composites: Nano-fibres

Polymeric nano-fibresCellulose, PLA, other

Carbon nano-tubesUse in high end applications

Enhancement of barrier /mechanical propertiesAdded functionality

• Controlled release of actives• Conductivity• Anti -theft

Nano-additives

Wide rage of additives Benefits

Added functionality Processing improvement

Nano- additives: Added functionality

Active packagingOxygen scavengersControlled release Antimicrobial

• Silver-based• Other inorganic (Chlorine dioxide)• Organic (Nisin, chitosan, essential oils)

Pigments

Nano- additives: Processing aid

Wet end chemistry, paper industryChemical water removal and retention systems, based on nanoparticle technology,

• i.e. growing silica monomers into clusters, are composed of at least two components of which one is nanoscale. This composition improves formation, retention, drainage, and dry strength.

Sizing systemsPolymer latexesHyperbranched polymers

Sensors, RFID and TaggantsSensors

Environmental, package /product conditions• Temperature, oxygen, integrity

Contaminants• Bacteria, toxins

RFIDsTrack, trace, record history

• Active , have battery, send signal, very expensive• Passive , energy from probing signal, much less expensive, can be

read-only or read-write

Taggants• Encoded particles act as “fingerprints”

Increasing interest & research on

AnticounterfeitingSub-micrometermetallic barcodes incorporated into packaging

Nanoparticle-based inks Miniature printed displays onto paper or foil

Product information or instructionsEnergy from printable batteries or printed antennas

Implementation of nanotechnology available elsewhere in packaging

Drug delivery or sun screen technology

Challenges

Understanding the materials Up-scaling production

Economically feasibleUnknown heath risksUnknown environmental risksUnknown impact end of life/recycling

Examples: BASF’s polymer dispersions, containing polymeric nano particles used in coatings , adhesives, and in the finishing of paper, and controlled release of actives.

Bayer Polymers’ Durethan KU2-2601 packaging film, is a “hybrid system” that is enriched with an enormous number of silicate nanoparticles.

Examples:

Miller Brewing Co. uses plastic beer bottles based on nanocomposites Imperm (nanocor)

Hite Brewery Co. uses plastic beer bottles based on“Aegis” nylon 6 nanocomposite blend since late 2003

Examples:Kuraray is marketing Kurarister film; polymer nanocomposite coated pet and nylon films

Ripesense is a ripeness sensor for fruits marketed in New Zeeland

Microtrace supplys taggents incorporated in the coating system/ different delivery formats

Examples:

Kodak is developing antimicrobial films that have the ability to absorb oxygen from the contents of the package.

Kraft Foods is working on an “electronic tongue” consisting of an array of nanosensorsfor spoilage

Thank You!For more formation:Gulden.yilmaz@wur.nlwww.biobasedproducts.nlwww.biorefinery.nlwww.paperandboard.nlwww.greenerpackage.com

© Wageningen UR