WO2012042535A1

WO2012042535A1 - Improved biocompostable pouch for packaging of liquids

Info

Publication number: WO2012042535A1
Application number: PCT/IN2011/000652
Authority: WO
Inventors: Champat Rikhabchand Sanghvi; Deepak Champat Sanghvi
Original assignee: Champat Rikhabchand Sanghvi; Deepak Champat Sanghvi
Priority date: 2010-09-27
Filing date: 2011-09-21
Publication date: 2012-04-05

Abstract

The biocompostable pouch for packaging liquid mainly comprises of biocompostable film which is made from biocompostable polymers, biocompostable slip and antiblocking agent, whereby the said pouch is produced by co- extruding a blend of the said biocompostable polymers on a blow film extruder using biocompostable Slip and antiblocking agents.

Description

IMPROVED BIOCOMPOSTABLE POUCH FOR PACKAGING OF LIQUIDS

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a biocompostable packaging pouch. In particular, the present invention relates to the improved packaging pouch composed of compostable polymeric film which is completely biocompostable.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Pouch is used for packaging of various liquids such as milk, juices, and beverages. Amongst all milk is considered as a whole food, which is consumed daily. The milk is delivered to various households within a maximum of 18 hours from the time of packing, and is generally consumed within 24- 40 hours. The milk, when not consumed, is always stored at a temperature of 4°C, during transportation as well in households. The liquid is packed in pouches for the transportation. But the pouches have to be packed such that the liquid does not get leaked out from the pouches.

For the packing of the liquid pouches, various machines are used, of which FFS machines are popular. They are the fill seal packaging machines for packing liquids in pouch for a single serve use. The machines have an electronic control unit for accurate cutting and sealing of the pouches. The sealing pattern available is 3- side seal and 4- side seal. The film/ sheet usually employed for preparing the packaging pouch is not completely biocompostable due to the presence of the heavy metal particles.

Popularly available polymeric film/ sheet used for packaging pouch is composed of thermoplastic material which is non-compostable and may transmit the printing ink inside the packet. Further most of the currently available packaging pouch does not meet the standards established by AIB- VINCOTTE, in their verification test Standards and specifications for polymeric film to be used compostable film. Ideal packaging pouch must comply with the compostability norms such as EN 13432, ASTM D6400 and ISO 17088 to be used as compostable product. Most of available films do not even test for the compostability.

PRIOR ART

Various types of pouches are produced and patented, but they have several disadvantages as compared to the proposed invention, each of which is as described below:

In the US patent application US6117465, wherein "POUCHES FOR PACKAGING FLOWABLE MATERIALS". In the patented invention, an environmentally friendly polymer film pouch made from a polyethylene film structure for the packaging of the flowable materials, for example milk, including, for example, a pouch made from a monolayer or multilayer film structure such as a two layer or a three layer co-extruded film containing atleast one layer of the blend of a linear ethylene interpolymer and a high pressure low density polyethylene as a seal layer. Also disclosed is a process for making a pouch for packaging flowable materials using a film structure of a blend of a linear ethylene interpolymer and a high pressure low density polyethylene. The patented pouch is made of a mono layer or multi layer film structure using 2- layer or 3- layer co extruded film containing a seal layer with a polymeric composition. But the said pouches are not biocompostable.

In the US patent application US5925726, wherein "THERMOPLASTIC BIODEGRADABLE POLYESTER PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION THEREOF AND ARTICLES MANUFACTURED THEREFROM". In the patented invention, the invention concerns a novel melt- processible co- polyester and prepolymer for the preparation thereof. The co-polyester contains structural units derived from diepoxy, and the polyester units atleast essentially consists of hydroxy acid monomers. The bonds between the structural units are ester bonds and the "number average molar mass, M_n, is at least 10,000 g/mol, its weight average molar mass, Mh, is over 20,000 g/mol and molar mass distribution, expressed as the ratio Mn/Mh is over 2. The co-polyester is hydrolytically degradable and it can be used as biodegradable polymer for the manufacture of injection molded articles as well as thermoformed and blow moulded packages, pouches, sacks and bottles, for the coating of sack bags and films made from paper or cardboard and for the preparation of fibres, fiber cloth and expanded polymer articles. Herein, the patented polyester can be used for blow molded pouches. But the said polymer is hydrolytically or enzymatically biodegradable, whereas the present invention does not require any such methods for its disposable as they get degraded by the action of fungi and bacteria.

The Patent No. US 7393592 wherein "Lamination grade coextruded heat-sealable film" includes a core layer of a thermoplastic polymer having a first side and a second side. A functional layer which is printable, sealable, or can be laminated or is treatable for printing, sealing, or laminating is on the first side of the core layer. A heat-sealable layer is on the second side of the core layer. The heat-sealable layer is composed of a thermoplastic polymer and an amount of a slip system, based upon the entire weight of the heat-sealable layer, sufficient to reduce the coefficient of friction and improve the slip performance of the film structure. The slip system is composed of a silicone gum and at least one antiblocking agent. The film structure exhibits the desirable combination of improved converting performance and excellent machinabiliry performance. But the said invention is composed of thermoplastic polymer which is not biocompostable. Moreover, the said thermoplastic polymer transmits the printing ink inside the packet.

DISADVANTAGES OF PRIOR ART

The above mentioned inventions suffer from at least one of the following problems: i. Most of them provide packaging pouch composed of polymeric film which is not completely biocompostable due to the presence of the heavy metal particles. ii. Many of them offer thermoplastic polymeric films which are not compostable. iii. Most of them transmit Printing ink inside the packet due to the use of thermoplastic polymeric material. iv. Most of them do not even test for compostability.

Thus, there was a need for biocompostable packaging pouch which is completely biocompostable and reusable. OBJECTS OF INVENTION

The main object of the present invention is to provide an improved biocompostable pouch for packaging of liquids, which is completely biocompostable .

Another object of the present invention is to provide biocompostable packaging pouch comprising of polymeric film which does not contain heavy metal particles.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide biocompostable packaging pouch comprising of biocompostable polymeric film which starts composting in presence of soil bacterial even without composting conditions.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide biocompostable packaging pouch which does not transmit the printing ink inside the pouch as it uses biocompostable polymeric film.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

The present biocompostable pouch for packaging liquids is mainly comprising of polymeric film, which comprises of:

The biocompostable pouch for packaging liquids

• Biocompostable polymers;

• Biocompostable slip and

• Antiblocking agent.

The said biocompostable pouch is mainly comprising of polymeric film which is made from a blend of biocompostable polymers co- extruded on a blow film extruder using biocompostable slip and antiblocking agents. The thickness of the said biocompostable polymeric film ranges from 40 to 100 microns. Further the said biocompostable polymeric film of the present invention is produced by blending the biocompostable polymers starch based compounds such as corn, soya, sugarcane or vegetable starch. The said biocompostable slip is preferably erucamide ESA in range of 0.05 to 0.2%. Whereas, the antiblocking agent is preferably fine talcum in range of 0.5 to 0.7%. The said pouch is used in packaging of liquids in particular milk.

Moreover the polymeric film (1) of the present invention is tested by central institute of plastics engineering & Technology of CI PET as per the standards mentioned below: TABLE 1

Biocompostable Polymeric Film Specifications

Property Range Test Value

Burst Strenght (KPa) 18-22 20

Tear Strenght (gm. force/micron) 40-60 50

Ash content Less than 0.1 NIL

GSM 19.2

Co-efficient of friction 0.17 - 0.2 0.185

Seal strenght (kg) 1 - 2 1.55

Tensile Strenght (Kg/ cm²) 300-350 331

Elongation at break (%) 102-108 104

Dart Impact Passed

(22 cm Height)

(60 gm Load)

Puncture Resistance (kg) 5.5-7.5 6.4 The pouch thus produced from biocompostable polymeric film, is completely biocompostable and has compostable logo printed on it, to differentiate its nature from regular non-compostable polymeric pouch. The said pouch may or may not be white opaque or transparent in nature.

Further the said pouch gets composted with a time frame of not more than 180 days, from the day it arrives into the composting facility. After a short period of time depending on the composting site, the product is not visually distinguishable and breaks down to carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass. Moreover, the present pouch starts composting even without composting condition in presence of soil bacterial.

The polymeric film of the present invention complies, the standards established by AIB- VINCOTTE, in their verification test Standards and specifications for polymeric film to be used as compostable film by fulfilling the criteria for the compo stability norms which are as below:

AVI test program with reference OK 1 edition D,

EN 13432 (09-2000) - Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation,

ASTM D 6400-04 - Standard specification for compostable plastics,

ISO 17088 (03-2008) - specification for compostable plastics.

Claims

1. An improved biocompostable pouch for packaging of liquids composed of polymeric film which comprises of :

• Biocompostable polymers;

• Biocompostable slip and

• Antiblocking agent.

2. An improved biocompostable pouch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the polymeric film is in range of 40 to 100 microns.

3. An improved biocompostable pouch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biocompostable polymers are starch based material such as corn or soya or sugarcane or vegetable starch.

4. An improved biocompostable pouch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the burst strength of the polymeric film is in range of 18 to 20 KPa.

5. An improved biocompostable pouch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tear strength of the polymeric film is in range of 40 to 60 gm. force/ micron.

6. An improved biocompostable pouch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tensile strength of the polymeric film is in range of 300-350 kg/ cm²-

7. An improved biocompostable pouch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seal strength of the polymeric film is in range of 1 to 2 kg.

8. An improved biocompostable pouch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biocompostable slip is preferably erucamide ESA.

9. An improved biocompostable pouch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biocompostable slip is in range of 0.05 to 0.2%.

10. An improved biocompostable pouch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antiblocking agent is preferably fine talcum.

11. An improved biocompostable pouch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antiblocking agent is in range of 0.5 to 0.7%.

12. An improved biocompostable pouch for packaging of liquids is prepared by blending biocompostable polymers co- extruded on a blow film extruder in combination with biocompostable Slip and antiblocking agents.