Development and processing of agricultural by-products to composite packaging materials
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Karlstads universitet - Avdelningen för kemiteknik |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 1 945 961 |
| Project duration | January 2012 - March 2015 |
| Status | Completed |
Purpose and goal
Bio based packaging materials are often sensitive to bacterial growth and other microorganisms. To solve this problem ZnO particles were grown to maximize its antibacterial properties. These particles were incorporated in a dispersion coating that was coated on the packing material to decrease the sensitivity to bacterial attacks.
Results and expected effects
The growth of the ZnO particles was possible to control and the results point to the goal with an increased antibacterial effect with increased polar surfaces. Tests of the ZnO coated trays showed no bacterial growth. The compression molded trays showed sufficient mechanical properties. Unfortunately the assessment from a vegetable wholesaler showed that the trays were not suitable for vegetables. Further research will be conducted on the growth of ZnO-particles.
Approach and implementation
The compression molding of trays and the selection of by-products was conducted according to plan. The method that was used to grow ZnO-particles was not possible to scale up to the level needed for packaging applications. The national collaboration continued according to plan. The bilateral partnership was postponed due to initial agreement delays by the Polish financier.