Whether printing on soft or rigid media, nanotechnology can help increase the strength of printed materials and water and gas barrier properties. However, large-scale commercial applications of nanotechnology have to go on for several years.
Nanotechnology seems to be "worthless" for the packaging and printing industry. After all, whether the packaging industry can widely adopt nanomaterials is still unknown. However, nanomaterials can be applied to the manufacture of films, bottles, paints and inks. With the continuous advancement of technology, this science has shown great promise. In fact, a clay used to make nano-packaging materials has already begun to be produced.
If you look deeper, you will find that in fact there are already many packaging companies that are beginning to explore the use of nanotechnology. The "Nano Packaging" published in 2004 reported two cases.
The first case concerns a company that produces multi-layer plastic bottles for ketchup. The company uses vinyl alcohol as a barrier film, but has produced too much waste in actual production. The company then replaced this EVOH film with nano-M9 material, which reduced the scrap rate by 71%. The new material has the same barrier properties and the cost does not increase. At the same time, there is no need for very close integration between the material layers. Another article published in Plastics Technology in 2003 provides a more detailed case of M9 materials: Nanocor melt blended MXD6 nylon material with a nanoclay additive to create a new barrier material. The new material has the same purity and delamination resistance as the standard MXD6 material. This material is used in the packaging of plastic bottles for beer, and the shelf life can meet the standards of the United States (110 days) and Europe (180 days). Barrier films for new materials are thinner than pure MXD6 barrier films.
Another example comes from Bayer. They are developing nanotechnology packaging films for foods. This film is only a few nanometers thick, but it can block air and keep moisture.
There are also many references to the application of nanotechnology. Del Stark of Stirling Nanotechnology Institute in Scotland mentioned the following examples in a seminar in 2004.
* Kodak is developing an antimicrobial food packaging material. The final product is in the form of film and coating and is expected to enter the market in 2005.
* Honeywell has developed a new process for manufacturing polymeric nanoclay materials that produces products with higher gas barrier properties. The product has been licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Honeywell’s listed trademark for this product is Aegis. The company claims that they are the first company to successfully produce this polymeric nanomaterial. Honeywell's advantages of this material include: not easy to delaminate, easy to process, high purity, recyclability, and low cost. Aegis has three products: OX is oxygen-absorbing, used in beer's plastic packaging; HFX is suitable for higher temperatures; CSD is used for soda drinks.
* Clariant uses nano-dispersion technology to produce pigment particles in inks that are suitable for inkjet printers.
* Poly One has developed a conductive nanocomposite.
Difficult definition
Nanotechnology is difficult to define. This technique can be understood as using possible techniques and tools to place each atom and molecule in a specific location. This kind of technology can lead to a revolution in the manufacturing industry and has a major impact on the economy, society, the environment, and the military. The term nanotechnology is used to describe a wide range of design and manufacturing processes at the atomic and molecular levels. In terms of length, nanometer refers to one billionth of a meter.
What can be applied to the packaging industry?
Packaging manufacturers are concerned with the problems of performance improvement and cost reduction, and do not care about what kind of technology is used. The barrier properties of nanomaterials can be applied to foods and related packaging, and of course, to the use of packaging for articles with shelf life. Based on new material properties, newer and better packaging methods and concepts will continue to emerge in the future.
Nanocor, a subsidiary of the well-known Amcol Corporation, is a leader in the manufacture of nanomaterials. The nanomaterials currently produced by the company are used in plastic beer containers, which have a shelf life of six months. This material mixes nanocrystals into plastic so that oxygen molecules cannot pass through. The company is studying to increase the shelf life to 18 months.
Nanotechnology can also produce stronger packaging materials. Nanosensor chips can be used in food packaging. Some packaging can also use special nano smart tags to prevent loss or theft, and so on.
Gain motivation
It is widely recognized that the application of nanotechnology in the packaging industry will be the driving force for technological development. Scientists believe that nanotechnology affects almost all areas of materials science, including packaging materials, and is of great significance. Nano-technology packaging materials have better strength, rigidity, biodegradability, chemical stability, thermal stability, thermal insulation and fire protection properties, and UV protection properties. In the future, nanotechnology will eliminate RFID tags (radio frequency tags, a widely used smart tag), which will affect the entire supply of goods and, correspondingly, the recycling of materials. From the previous introduction, we can see that some packaging materials using nanotechnology have entered the stage of commercial application.
The economics of nanotechnology are also considered. New features brought by new technologies can sometimes be evaluated simply by reducing material costs. For example, self-cleaning coatings can save the cost of cleaning packages; food spoilage detectors have great potential for use in food packaging.
Who pays bills?
Who invests in the research and development of nanotechnology? It seems that this cost should be invested by companies that manufacture materials because their customers, that is, packaging companies, are increasingly demanding new materials.
But when considering that new technologies can reduce costs and increase performance, the cost of R&D should be invested by market participants at all levels, especially when packaging can help brand marketing and quality management. The source of investment will also vary depending on the different applications of nanotechnology. For example, the introduction of nanomaterials makes it possible to change the packaging of beer from glass bottles to plastic bottles. Here, the new technology opens up a new market for plastics manufacturers such as plastic beer bottles, which also enables beer canning companies to reduce costs. Both market participants are interested in investing in nanotechnology. In another example, nano-temperature sensors or food spoilage detectors are more attractive to investors in the downstream market, such as distributors and retailers.
Cost analysis is very important. The application of nanotechnology's smart signs and sensors must be based on sufficient cost-benefit arguments. Of course, nanotechnology also involves a large number of other issues, and its widespread application should be a few years later.
Nanotechnology is the hope of future packaging technology. It can use less material while having better performance and make packaging part of an intelligent system. In the future, nanotechnology will be integrated into various forms of packaging, and new materials and new technologies that affect the field of packaging will emerge in large numbers.
Miao Dong compilation information source: "Chinese packaging" 2005/4