EUREKA Eurostars E!7420 XyloPack Xylophane

Important results from the project

Today, most polymers used in packaging are petroleum-based and their disposal contributes to growing landfills or enhanced greenhouse effects when burned. In addition, the earth´s fossil resources are limited and the interest in renewable raw materials for the production of polymeric materials is growing. The project aimed at developing a renewable oxygen barrier for carton board and new improved barrier formulations based on xylan, a carbohydrate, were developed. Barrier properties were measured as oxygen transmission rate through barrier coated board.

Expected long term effects

There is a growing interest in sustainable packaging materials and the replacement of traditionally used non-renewable materials with new renewable and biodegradable alternatives. In this project, a barrier technology based on xylan, a hemicellulosic by-product from the agricultural industry, was further developed. By improving the oxygen barrier properties at high surrounding relative humidity, an extended possible use of the technology was obtained. Oxygen transmission rate was measured on both material produced in laboratory scale and in pilot scale.

Approach and implementation

The project included three technical work packages. The aim of WP1 was to produce modified formulations by the addition of fillers to xylan based barrier formulations. These were evaluated in WP2 by making films and coatings and evaluating material properties with focus on mechanical properties and oxygen barrier properties at moderate and high surrounding relative humidity. In WP3, up-scaling of the material preparation was performed followed by dispersion coating, extrusion coating and conversion in pilot scale and evaluation of the laminates.