IDM ¦ Packaging
ble. Thus, PLA-based films are modified by new coating technologies
in order to have comparable barrier and processing
properties as petrochemical-based plastics. These new coating
technologies are being developed by a research group for Biopolymer
Processing and Functionalization BPF at the Sustainable
Packaging Institute SPI of the Albstadt-Sigmaringen University
of Applied Sciences, headed by Dr. Corina Reichert, as
part of the BIOnTop project. In future, research at the Sustainable
Packaging Institute SPI will take place in new laboratories
and pilot plants at InnoCamp Sigmaringen, which are optimally
designed for research into sustainable packaging concepts.
The aim of the BIOnTop project is the development of
coatings made of bio-based materials such as fatty acids or
proteins from side streams during food production. Thereby,
thermoplastic PLA films shall get a water-repellent coating
by means of nanoscale surface functionalisation with fatty
acids ("fatty acid grafting"). In order for the fatty acids to be
coated onto the PLA film, a protein coating layer is used to
provide sufficient reactive groups.
The coating will first be tested with whey proteins on PLA
films, as whey proteins have been very well researched, followed
by coatings with materials from side streams of the
agri-food industry. In addition to facilitating fatty acid coating,
protein coating is expected to increase the oxygen barrier
properties of the PLA film, as has already been shown for
whey protein isolate coatings on plastic films (Stäbler & Schmid,
2016). Whey protein coatings showed comparable oxygen barrier
properties to an EVOH (44%) layer in earlier research (patent
WO2,013,014,493). Whey proteins or proteins in general
therefore have the potential to replace EVOH in multilayer films
and thus represent a bio-based sustainable coating alternative.
If successful, the developed bio-based multilayer films will
be scaled up to pilot plant and industrial scale and finally the
physical and sensory parameters will be evaluated in packaging
and storage tests. This type of bio-based packaging made from
renewable materials will be designed in such a way that they
can be used and recycled cost-efficiently, which already works
excellently on a laboratory scale (Cinelli et al. 2016). Various
end-of-life scenarios are being researched and optimised for a
holistic view of packaging. In the BIOnTop project, the focus
will be on ensuring that sustainable packaging can be processed
in existing waste recycling plants or that they are even
seawater degradable.
The holistic development of bio-based packaging and
textiles in the EU research project BIOnTop is intended to
make a decisive step towards more sustainable, recyclable
and marketable packaging.
Sources:
1. Auras, R., Lim. L.-T.; Selke, S.E.M.; Tsuji, H., Eds.; Wiley:
Hoboken, N.J. 2010. (Poly(lactic acid). Synthesis, structures,
properties, processing, and applications; ISBN 978-
0-470-29366-9.
2. BIOnTop. 2019. https://biontop.eu/.
3. Cinelli, P., M. Schmid, E. Bugnicourt, M. B. Coltelli and A.
Lazzeri. 2016. Recyclability of PET/WPI/PE Multilayer Films
by Removal of Whey Protein Isolate based Coatings with
Enzymatic Detergents. Materials 9(6): 473.
8 · May 2020 ¦ international-dairy.com
PLA film in a tensile testing device. These bio-based films
will be coated with bio-based material to enhance the oxygen
and water vapour barrier properties (photo: University
of Albstadt-Sigmaringen)
4. Europäische Kommission. 2018. European strategy for
plastics: https://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/plastic_
waste.htm.
5. Kaiser, K., Schmid, M., Schlummer, M. 2018. Recycling of
polymer-based multilayer packaging: A review, Recycling,
3, 1-26.
6. Patent WO2,013,014,493. Schmid, M., Noller, K., Wild,
F., Bugnicourt, E. 2011. Whey protein coated films.
7. Plastikatlas 2019: https://www.bund.net/fileadmin/
user_upload_bund/publikationen/chemie/chemie_plastikatlas_
2019.pdf
8. Schmid, M., Held, J., Wild, F., Noller, L. 2011. Thermoforming
of whey-protein based barrier layers for application
in food packaging. Food Science & Technology, 25,
34-35.
9. Stäbler, A., Schmid, M. 2016. Thermoformbarer Mehrschichtverbund
sowie proteinbasierte Formulierung zum
Erhalt einer thermoformbaren Schicht mit Sauerstoffbarriere
im Verbund. Deutschland, patent application 10
2016 108 214.7.
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