Laminated Packaging Material with Diamond-Like Carbon Barrier
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional non-aluminium-foil laminated packaging materials for liquid food cartons face challenges in providing adequate gas and water vapour barrier properties while maintaining mechanical strength and cost-effectiveness, often resulting in high production costs due to the need for multiple layers to achieve sufficient barrier and integrity.
Innovation Solution
A laminated packaging material comprising a substrate layer with a vapour-deposited amorphous diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating and a polyamide barrier layer, combined with heat-sealable polymer layers, which provides excellent adhesion and barrier properties without the use of aluminium foil, enabling long-term aseptic storage of liquid foods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple polymer layers are used to achieve sufficient gas and water vapour barrier properties, then barrier performance is improved, but production cost increases and structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining a substrate layer with a vapour-deposited amorphous diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating and a polyamide barrier layer. This composite structure achieves superior gas and water vapour barrier properties through the synergistic effect of the DLC coating's low permeability and the polyamide layer's barrier characteristics, eliminating the need for multiple polymer layers while maintaining high barrier performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/multilayer polymer structure with a vapour-deposited DLC coating system. Instead of stacking multiple polymer layers to achieve barrier properties, the invention uses a thin DLC coating applied via vapour deposition, which provides equivalent or superior barrier performance with reduced structural complexity and lower production costs.
2Reliability
If aluminium foil is used to provide gas barrier properties, then barrier performance is improved, but the packaging material cannot be heat sealed and adhesion under wet conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite barrier film structure where the vapour-deposited DLC coating provides gas barrier properties, the polyamide layer enhances adhesion and barrier performance, and heat-sealable polymer layers are applied on the outer surfaces. This composite structure eliminates aluminium foil while achieving comparable gas barrier properties along with heat sealability and wet adhesion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different materials with specific functions at different locations: the DLC coating is applied only on the inner surface facing the food content to provide gas barrier properties, while heat-sealable polymer layers are applied on the outer surfaces for sealing. This local differentiation of material properties allows each layer to perform its specific function optimally without the limitations of aluminium foil.
3Quantity of substance
If a thin DLC coating is applied to provide barrier properties, then material usage is reduced and cost decreases, but adhesion to polymer layers may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a polyamide barrier layer as an intermediary between the thin DLC coating and the heat-sealable polymer layers. This intermediate polyamide layer serves dual functions: it maintains the gas and water vapour barrier properties provided by the thin DLC coating while providing excellent adhesion to both the DLC layer and the outer polymer layers, thereby preventing delamination even with minimal DLC thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a three-layer composite barrier film (DLC coating + polyamide layer + heat-sealable polymer layers) where each layer compensates for the limitations of the others. The thin DLC provides barrier properties, the polyamide intermediate layer provides adhesion, and the outer polymer layers provide structural integrity and heat sealability, achieving overall system performance that overcomes the adhesion issues of thin DLC coatings.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves improved oxygen and water vapour barrier properties, maintains adhesion under wet conditions, and reduces production costs, ensuring the nutritional quality and safety of packaged foods for extended periods without delamination issues.
Implementation Method 1
a vapour deposited barrier coating of amorphous diamond-like carbon
Implementation Method 2
barrier coating of amorphous diamond-like carbon... provides excellent adhesion and barrier properties
Implementation Method 3
a polyamide barrier layer, combined with heat-sealable polymer layers, which provides excellent adhesion and barrier properties
Implementation Method 4
heat-sealable polymer layers... maintains adhesion under wet conditions
Data Source
AI summary
A packaging laminate that includes a barrier film having a PECVD barrier coating of diamond-like carbon is disclosed, along with a method of manufacturing such films, and laminated packaging materials comprising such films, in particular intended for liquid food packaging are disclosed. Packaging containers that include the laminated packaging material or being made from the laminated packaging material, in particular to a packaging container intended for liquid food packaging are also disclosed.