A Communication from the PLACE Div. of TAPPI

Published: July 01, 2007, By David J. Bentley, Jr., Editor

Providing practical information to the converting and packaging industries…

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
New High Barrier Lidding Materials: Optimization Studies To Understand Seal Peel Characteristics To Different Consumer Cup Substrates
by Gopal Iyengar, Stora Enso North America

Newly developed coated paper based and aluminum free high barrier lidding materials have good oxygen barrier properties, die cutting, print and seal peel properties. Since foil based lidding materials have poor abuse resistance and are hampered by metal detection systems, aesthetically valued and user friendly coated paper based paper/poly lidding materials can be developed. Using polymer combinations and the knowledge on cohesive failure mechanisms, optimization techniques are available to characterize seal peel mechanisms to various consumer cup substrates made with polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), high impact polystyrene (HIPS), high density polyethylene (HDPE), and low density polyethylene (LDPE).

Lid structures used in flexible consumer packaging products such as ice cream, yogurt, orange juice, etc. have two or multilayer structures composed of either aluminum foil/poly, paper/aluminum foil/poly, or poly/aluminum foil/poly with varying oxygen and water vapor transmission barrier properties. One layer in the structure can have a seal peel layer that seals to various cup substrates that hold food products, but the same seal layer can also be peeled for use.

Combining the proper substrate design and selection of polymers allows one to design high barrier paper/poly lid substrates that perform close to barrier properties but with better seal peel and die cutting with superior printing properties than conventional aluminum/seal or poly/poly lids. Using the seal peel optimization techniques mentioned in this paper allows characterization of the lid substrate performance to satisfy end user or consumer needs. Using the techniques mentioned may provide answers to an important question, “What is the lid substrate and polymer combination that meets the sealing window, average peel strength, and leak value properties to meet consumer needs?”

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Don’t Let Profits Go Up In Smoke: Modern Air Pollution Control Systems Reduce Energy Costs And Destroy Higher Levels Of Air Pollutants
by Charles M. Martinson and Mike Van Asten, The CMM Group

Since the early 1970’s, air pollution control regulations have required many printing, coating, and laminating operations to install emission control systems designed to treat manufacturing facilities exhaust stacks or face the possibility of stiff non-compliance fines. To meet these regulations, many companies installed and have since operated some type of thermal or catalytic oxidizer. While these units proved sufficient at the time, modern, highly efficient APCS (Air Pollution Control System) designs can significantly reducing energy consumption while destroying higher levels of air pollutants. These include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), or both. As energy costs rise and clean air regulations become more stringent with greater enforcement, replacing older equipment with a modern system will certainly prove to be beneficial for any company. For additional savings, secondary recovery units can be incorporated within the design of a new APCS or retrofitted into an existing design.

Manufacturers need to review their emission levels and possibly consider replacing or retrofitting their current APCS with more modern technologies. As energy costs rise, these companies should consider all available options to help reduce the energy costs associated with operating their APCS. Replacing an older system with a new, high efficiency systems now offers a short-term payback on the capital investment by a company. Retrofitting a secondary recovery unit to an older APCS can generate significant energy savings. Either an upgrade or a retrofit could provide substantial operating savings and have a positive impact on the profit of a company.

For information about the PLACE Division of TAPPI, access the TAPPI web page at tappi.org. To obtain the complete papers whose expanded summaries appear in this section, go to the TAPPI web site at tappi.org., then click on "the PLACE" in the section designated Journals.

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