VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland’s novel coating is suitable for food and pharmaceutical packaging
The environmentally-friendly packaging coating solution is ideal for food and pharmaceutical packaging, as the coating offers a new method for manufacturing fully recyclable, thin, light and air-tight packaging materials.
Developed using the atomic layer deposition (ALD) method, the coating has excellent gas permeation resistance and as such it is particularly suitable for food and pharmaceutical products. The ALD technology, which was developed in Finland in the 1970s, has been utilized mainly in microelectronics to date.
By using ALD coating, different functions can be integrated in the packaging material, such as properties which prevent water, oxygen, humidity, fats and aromas from permeating the packaging and protect the surface from stains and bacterial growth. ALD thus provides savings on raw material and transport costs, as the amount of packaging material can be reduced. For example, chocolate wrappers can now be made without the aluminium-coated paper, if the carton wrap is treated with the ALD coating method.
TechConnect News Note: VTT IP Business is an exhibitor at the upcoming TechConnect Summit Expo, taking place June 22-23, 2010 at the Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA, USA.
