Development of biodegradable paper/bioplastic multilayer packaging

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PROJECT DETAILS:

This project aims to develop biodegradable polymer coatings and fully biodegradable paper–plastic laminates. It builds on a previous project entitled Development of Compostable Bioplastics, to which Emballages Novus contributed between 2012 and 2014.

At the completion of this initial project, a biodegradable plastic formulation compatible with the extrusion coating process had been developed. The polymer formulation met the stringent rheological requirements of the coating process and was successfully validated during pilot-scale manufacturing trials. However, adhesion issues between the polymer coating and the paper substrate were identified at high production speeds. Addressing this limitation constitutes the primary objective of the present project. Another major challenge is to reduce resin production costs in order to achieve commercial viability while identifying the first market applications. To this end, a Novus customer has been identified to use the laminates developed through this project to manufacture the first commercial products, namely multilayer envelopes for postal services. This represents the core objective of the project. Finally, a comprehensive characterization of the polymer resin and the resulting laminates will be carried out to support their successful commercialization.

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