Microfibrillated Cellulose Coating for Molded Articles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for coating molded articles with fibers face challenges such as the use of unsuitable components for food contact, stickiness during manufacturing, and migration of harmful substances like PFCAs and mineral oil hydrocarbons, which affect the safety and performance of packaging materials.
Innovation Solution
A coating process using a dispersion of microfibrillated cellulose, a slip aid, and a hydrocolloid, applied via spraying, which forms a barrier against mineral oil migration and improves manufacturing precision and speed while being safe for food contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fluorinated compounds are used to provide grease and water repellence, then water- and grease-repellent properties are improved, but harmful substances like PFCAs and mineral oil hydrocarbons migrate to food contact surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes harmful fluorinated compounds from the coating composition and replaces them with safe alternatives (microfibrillated cellulose, slip aids, hydrocolloids). This extraction of the harmful substance eliminates migration of PFCAs and mineral oil hydrocarbons while maintaining the desired grease and water repellent properties through the natural hydrophobicity of cellulose and the lubricating effect of slip aids.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs biodegradable, food-safe components (microfibrillated cellulose, natural slip aids, hydrocolloids) that can be safely disposed of or degraded without environmental harm. These alternative materials provide the necessary protective function during use and then decompose harmlessly, eliminating the long-term contamination issue associated with persistent fluorinated compounds.
2Reliability
If conventional coating materials are used to provide grease resistance, then grease repellence is improved, but the coating causes stickiness during manufacturing and has poor repulpability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical and physical parameters of the coating materials by using microfibrillated cellulose with specific fibril dimensions and hydrocolloids with controlled molecular weights. These parameter changes result in a coating that provides grease resistance through hydrophobicity while maintaining low stickiness and good repulpability due to the natural properties of cellulosic materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite coating system combining microfibrillated cellulose, slip aids, and hydrocolloids. This composite formulation synergistically provides grease resistance through the hydrophobic cellulose, reduces stickiness through the lubricating slip aids, and maintains repulpability through the biodegradable hydrocolloid matrix, solving multiple problems simultaneously.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If coating compositions are applied to achieve surface properties for food contact, then food safety is improved, but manufacturing precision and speed are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex multi-step coating processes with a simplified single-stage coating formulation. The optimized coating composition (microfibrillated cellulose, slip aid, hydrocolloid) provides the necessary food safety properties in one application, eliminating the need for multiple treatment steps and improving both manufacturing precision and speed while ensuring food contact safety.
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 process provides a renewable, grease-resistant coating that prevents mineral oil migration and reduces stickiness, enabling the production of molded articles with improved surface properties and enhanced repulpability, facilitating the manufacturing of complex shapes with higher precision and speed.
Implementation Method 1
a coating dispersion is prepared that comprises microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), a slip aid and at least one hydrocolloid
Implementation Method 2
a coating dispersion is prepared that comprises microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), a slip aid and at least one hydrocolloid
Implementation Method 3
a coating dispersion is prepared that comprises microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), a slip aid and at least one hydrocolloid
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a new process for providing a coating layer on a moulded article comprising fibers. In the present invention, a coating dispersion is prepared that comprises microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), a slip aid and at least one hydrocolloid.