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NANOMAT-Nanoteknologi og nye materialer

New innovative barrier solutions for targeted fresh food packaging applications

Awarded: NOK 4.5 mill.

Project Number:

176212

Project Period:

2006 - 2009

Organisation:

Partner countries:

One of the primary challenges in food packaging business is the presence of oxygen contained in a produce or permeate through the packaging material, having a strong negative effects on the quality and shelf-life of the foodstuff. Effective barrier materi als are in general expensive multilayer solutions which are difficult to process and impossible to recycle. For processing simplicity and minimal equipment - and tooling costs, packaging producers would prefer a monolayer structure for barrier solution. I n august 2005 a KMB project was established (169735/S10) aiming to build fundamental competence on different nanoparticle-based concepts, that could aid a transformation towards monolayer barrier solutions. The present project application is based on fu ndamental results generated in the competence-building (KMB) pre-project. NIBA is therefore a natural continuation of the KMB pre-project, where the fundamental knowledge will be applied to generate innovation along a whole value chain in the Norwegian fo od packaging sector. NIBA is organized as a value chain project with active participation of two raw material deliverers, three packaging converters and two end users of packaging products. The industrial partners will closely cooperate with a coordinate d institute sector in targeted areas. The scientific focus of the project will be to apply nanoparticle technology to develop innovative barrier layers (barrier towards oxygen, humidity and aroma) from optimized and targeted blends of polyolefins, nanopa rticles and barrier polymers (EVOH). These barrier layers will bring sufficient barrier properties for fresh food applications in 3-layer packaging applications and stretch film applications, still maintaining processing abilities and desired mechanical p erformance. This will furthermore allow re-use and post-user recycling of multilayer films and represent a transition towards simpler and more cost-effective barrier solutions for food packaging applications.

Funding scheme:

NANOMAT-Nanoteknologi og nye materialer