Biodegradable Security Elements for Polymer Banknotes
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current security elements and polymer substrates used in value documents lack sustainability and effective counterfeit protection, with polymer banknotes often contributing to environmental issues due to non-biodegradable materials.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating recycled materials, renewable raw materials, and biologically or marine-degradable materials into security elements and polymer substrates, such as chemically or mechanically recycled plastics, to enhance sustainability and counterfeit protection, with at least 10% to 50% of these materials used in the composition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional polymer materials are used in security elements and polymer substrates, then durability and counterfeit protection are maintained, but environmental sustainability deteriorates due to non-biodegradability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by incorporating biologically degradable polymers (such as polyhydroxyalkanoates, polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid) and marine-degradable materials into security elements and polymer substrates. This allows the materials to maintain their functional properties for counterfeit protection while acquiring biodegradability and marine-degradability characteristics, thus resolving the contradiction between durability and environmental harm.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates composite materials by combining traditional security element materials with biologically degradable and marine-degradable materials. These composites retain the security features and counterfeit protection capabilities while introducing environmental sustainability through the degradable components, effectively addressing the contradiction between reliability and environmental harm.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If recycled materials are incorporated into security elements, then environmental sustainability improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies that recycled materials should comprise at least 10% (preferably at least 20%, particularly preferably at least 30%, in particular at least 50%) of the security element composition. This quantitative parameter change provides clear manufacturing guidelines while ensuring sufficient recycled material content for environmental sustainability, balancing the improvement in sustainability with manageable manufacturing complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If biologically degradable materials are used in security elements, then environmental sustainability improves, but durability and security feature stability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies controlled degradation conditions for biologically degradable and marine-degradable materials, indicating that degradation occurs under specific environmental conditions (such as presence of microorganisms, moisture, temperature ranges). This allows the security elements to maintain their structural integrity and security features during normal circulation and storage, while degrading only under specific disposal conditions, thus resolving the contradiction between biodegradability and service life duration.
Data Source
AI summary
A security element for value documents or security documents comprises at least one security feature, wherein the security element comprises at least one recycled material, and/or at least one material made of renewable raw materials, and/or at least one biologically degradable and/or marine-degradable material. Polymer substrates, value documents, and security documents for such security elements are also disclosed.