Silicon Dioxide Coating on Wood Substrates for Bioinert Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current packaging materials, especially plastics and Tetra Paks, pose environmental concerns due to difficulty in degradation and high energy consumption in production, and there is a need for bioinert materials that do not react with packaged goods, particularly food, while also being cost-effective and energy-efficient.
Innovation Solution
A method for coating a carrier material, such as wood, with a nanocrystalline silicon dioxide layer at low temperatures, typically room temperature, to create a barrier layer that is impermeable or selectively permeable, reducing the risk of contamination and oxidation of packaged goods, and allowing for flexible packaging without breaking the ceramic layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional packaging materials like plastics and Tetra Paks are used, then production cost and formability are improved, but environmental compatibility and biodegradability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite packaging structures combining wood substrate with ceramic coating layers, creating a biodegradable base material with protective inorganic coating that provides both environmental compatibility and functional performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition and structure of packaging materials by applying nanocrystalline ceramic coatings to wood substrates, transforming organic material into a composite with enhanced barrier properties while maintaining biodegradability
2Reliability
If ceramics are used as packaging material, then bioinertness and barrier properties are improved, but brittleness and difficulty in processing deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies thin ceramic coating layers (nanometer to micrometer scale) on flexible wood substrates, creating a composite that combines the flexibility and processability of wood with the bioinertness of ceramics
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical processing of brittle ceramics with low-temperature chemical vapor deposition processes, enabling ceramic coating formation without mechanical stress or high-temperature sintering
3Reliability
If high temperatures are used for ceramic coating, then coating quality and barrier properties are improved, but energy consumption and substrate damage risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from conventional high-temperature ceramic processing (>1000°C) to low-temperature chemical vapor deposition (50-200°C), enabling ceramic coating formation without excessive energy consumption or substrate damage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces thermal sintering processes with chemical vapor deposition, using chemical reactions instead of thermal energy to form ceramic coatings, thereby dramatically reducing energy consumption
4Adaptability or versatility
If packaging material is made thin for flexibility, then formability and cost are improved, but mechanical strength and barrier properties deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates composite structures where thin wood substrates are reinforced with ceramic coating layers, providing mechanical strength and barrier properties without increasing material thickness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies ceramic coatings selectively on the inner surfaces of packaging that contact food products, providing enhanced barrier properties exactly where needed while maintaining overall flexibility and thin profile
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 method enables the production of bioinert packaging materials with reduced energy consumption and improved barrier properties against gases and chemical substances, allowing for efficient protection of food products while maintaining flexibility and preventing the ceramic layer from breaking during deformation.
Implementation Method 1
a) depositing a silicon precursor onto a surface to be coated
Implementation Method 2
b) converting the deposited precursor into silicon dioxide in a separate subsequent step
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for coating a substrate material comprising the following steps, in particular the following sequence: - coating the substrate material (2, 2') with a silicon dioxide precursor solution with a water content <25 vol%, produced by dissolving a silicate, in particular an oligomeric silicate, preferably a tetramethyl silicic acid homopolymer, in a solvent, and - curing the silicon dioxide precursor solution and thereby forming the silicon dioxide layer (3, 3') on the substrate material (2, 2') in an at least partially vaporous ammonia atmosphere at: e) a temperature between 5°C and 30°C and/or f) a pressure between 10⁻³ bar and 10 bar.