Toray Industries, Inc., Mitsui Chemicals developed mono-material film packaging material

Toray Industries, Inc., Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., and Kumagai Co., Ltd., announced that they have jointly developed a revolutionary mono-material film packaging material and manufacturing process that are free of volatile organic compounds (VOC), said the company.

Carbon dioxide emissions are 80% lower than from conventional counterparts with this new material, which is also recyclable.

The lightness, transparency, and processing ease of these materials should make them popular choices for refillable pouch applications, including for foods, shampoos, and detergents. The market for these materials should keep growing more than 3% annually (see note 2) as the global population rises.

Regular film packaging material manufacturing uses petroleum solvents inks to print text, images, and other information on plastic films and in adhesives to laminate plastic films. These solvents release VOCs. The equipment required to heat, dry, and incinerate petroleum solvents in inks and adhesives consumes a lot of electricity. The lamination of plastic films with different materials to achieve various functions makes them hard to recycle, leading to their frequent incineration as waste.

VOC emissions from petroleum solvents in film packaging materials production have raised concerns about their impact on work environments. Another issue is the global warming impact of carbon dioxide emissions from their electricity consumption in production processes and from incineration during disposal.

These considerations prompted Toray, Mitsui Chemicals, and Kumagai to develop a mono-material film packaging material and manufacturing technology that is free of petroleum solvents for ink and adhesives and is recyclable.

Toray demonstrated printing for the new material’s manufacturing process by employing its Toray proprietary IMPRIMA (see note 3) offset printing plate. The plate uses electron beam-cured printing inks that consumer less electricity need no thermal drying. Mitsui Chemicals verified the lamination process with adhesives that do not incorporate petroleum solvents. The manufacturing process is thus VOC-free because it does not use petroleum solvents for inks or adhesives.

Incorporating Kumagai’s package manufacturing and processing technologies resulted in a mono-material film packaging material. This breakthrough makes the material far easier to recycle than regular counterparts.
Under this collaboration, Toray is leading the way with its printing technology. Mitsui Chemicals is providing total coordination for the new setup with its materials technology. Kumagai is leveraging its industry-leading package manufacturing technology. The three look to commercialize the new film packaging material for food and other daily necessities.

We remind, Toray Industries, Inc., announced that it has developed a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film that combines excellent applicability and adhesion for water-based and solvent-free coatings and can eliminate solvent-derived carbon-dioxide emissions. The company looks to produce the film at a domestic plant by end-March 2024 to help popularize eco-friendly film products for which decarbonization during manufacturing is desirable. These items include release, adhesive, printing, packaging, and automotive films.

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Sika, a US provider of innovative construction materials, has announced the installation of a new packaging and extrusion line at its SikaFiber plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, said Packaging-gateway.

This investment will significantly boost the capacity of concrete reinforcing fibers by up to 4 million pounds, allowing Sika to meet the growing demands of the market and ensure timely production for its valued customers.

The newly installed extrusion line boasts several advanced features that enhance productivity and sustainability. With a focus on energy efficiency, the line is approximately 30% more energy efficient than the existing lines. This achievement is attributed to higher output and lower energy consumption, effectively reducing the carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint.

Sika’s commitment to sustainability is reinforced through the integration of state-of-the-art controllers, energy-efficient motors, automatic temperature controls, and complete insulated ovens with direct air passage.Safety is a top priority for Sika, and the new production and packaging lines are equipped with advanced safety features to ensure the well-being of employees.

The lines feature a completely enclosed guarding system around godet rolls, incorporating safety interlocks. Additionally, thread guide rolls facilitate easy machine startup while preventing access to pinch points. The oven system is equipped with a two-hand safety switch system, further enhancing safety measures. The improvements made to the quench tank also contribute to better ergonomics during thread-up operations.

Sika’s dedication to employee safety remains unwavering, as the company continually enhances these systems to create a safe working environment for all employees.

We remind, Sika has completed the acquisition of MBCC Group after having received all necessary regulatory approvals, said the company. MBCC Group, headquartered in Mannheim, Germany, and formerly owned by an affiliate of Lone Star Funds, is active in the field of construction systems and admixture systems. To close the transaction and to comply with regulatory requirements, Sika sold MBCC Group’s chemical admixtures assets in the UK, the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand to the international private equity firm Cinven. The business now acquired by Sika employs 6,200 people and operates in over 60 countries and 95 production facilities.

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Nordic beauty company LUMENE has partnered with paper manufacturer UPM and chemical business SABIC for a new biobased packaging application, said Packaging-gateway.

The company is launching a jar, topped with self-adhesive labels that are made of BioVerno naphtha, a wood-based material developed by UPM in Finland. The biobased material is then processed by SABIC into certified renewable polypropylene, before it is converted into various recyclable cosmetics containers and product labels.

The labels are printed on UPM’s Raflatac Forest Film, which is claimed to be the world’s first film label material made with wood-based biomaterials. SABIC PP & E4PS general manager Lada Kurelec said: “We firmly believe that collaboration and innovation are driving the sustainable transformation of our industry.

“SABIC’s certified renewable materials demonstrate how our TRUCIRCLE solutions can contribute toward our shared goals for carbon neutrality. We are delighted to work with our value chain partners LUMENE and UPM Biofuels as a further step towards creating a more circular and sustainable economy for plastics.”

LUMENE opted to use the renewable biobased raw material in order to reduce its packaging carbon footprint. The materials will reduce the company’s fossil-based plastics usage by more than 60 tonnes per year and cut its carbon footprint by 1.5 million jars every year.

LUMENE R&D packaging and sustainability head Essi Arola said: “By cooperating with UPM and SABIC we are taking the next important step in our sustainability journey and driving transition to renewable resources. LUMENE’s ambition is to have 80% of its packaging made from recycled and biobased plastics by 2025.”

We remind, SABIC participated in a ceremony to announce the first package of Shareek projects involving large companies in Saudi Arabia. The event was held in the presence of several dignitaries, senior businessmen and heads of major companies participating in the program. During the ceremony, SABIC announced a strategic project to manufacture catalysts, aiming to transform Saudi Arabia into a manufacturing hub for specialized materials in line with the national industrial strategy.

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MenaBev can now deliver seven new bottle formats across two PET lines after Sidel completed conversion on its Combi PET lines, said Packaging-gateway.

The plant is said to be one of the largest PepsiCo bottling plants globally, covering 300,000m?. The facility serves millions of consumers in the MENA region and is supported by a local distribution centre.

The collaboration between Sidel and MenaBev ensured that one of the Combi PET line adaptations catered for three new-look formats for the bottled water product Aquafina while the other could run four new formats.

In response to increased sugar taxes impacting the Saudi market, MenaBev also called on Sidel to deliver new formats of the Carolina bottle. Although challenged by market-wide component shortages, the separate Combi PET lines were both adapted in one week.

In addition, the Aquafina line is reportedly capable of running up to 60,000 bottles per hour (bph) compared to its previous figure of 54,000 bph. Meanwhile, the Carolina line has maintained its speed of 48,000 bph.

To maximise the lines’ sustainability, the new design’s technical development included a full feasibility study, laboratory checks and performance tests on the stretch blow-moulding process.

This approach was applied to the 330ml, 500ml and 1.5L Aquafina bottles. The new Aquafina design has delivered a lighter-weight 330ml bottle, benefitting from a 10% reduction in raw materials.

Sidel service manager Karim Abdel Wahed commented: “Our ability to adapt and convert existing Sidel lines enables customers such as MenaBev to rapidly respond to global changes and market needs.”

We remind, Yili Group, Asia’s largest dairy company, received support and expertise from Sidel to install a versatile Aseptic Lab filler, which has been designed primarily for research and development and is situated in Yili’s specially constructed facility. It will enable the regional market leader to launch new products and adapt existing bottles, further enhancing its reputation for innovation.

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Azelis, a leading innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry, announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Sirius International (“Sirius”), a well-established distributor of specialty chemicals in the Benelux market, said the company.

This acquisition complements Azelis’ lateral value chain in home care and industrial cleaning with an attractive portfolio and aligns perfectly with Azelis' ambition to become a world-leading innovation service provider. Pioneering in the formulation of sustainable cleaning products from biodegradable and/or recyclable chemical raw materials and with expertise in green chemicals, Sirius will reinforce Azelis' best-in-class sustainability program and enable it to offer innovative environmental solutions to its customers in the EMEA region and beyond.

Founded in 2004 by current CEO Leo Verboeket, Sirius is a distributor of environmentally friendly chemicals for the detergent, personal care and water treatment markets in Europe. Based in Baarn, the Netherlands, this team of experienced professionals has an established market position and longstanding relationships with its principals, providing innovative products to European customers.

We remind, Azelis, a leading global innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry, announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Gillco Ingredients (“Gillco”), a leading specialty ingredient provider in the food & nutrition market in the USA.

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