Spanish research institute Aimplas has developed new biopolymers for manufacturing biodegradable bottles, bags and caps which can be resistant to sterilization and pasteurization.
The new biopolymers will be used to produce thermal power-resistant packaging suitable for dairy products, such as fresh milk, shakes and yoghurts with probiotics.
The development is a part of Aimplas’s €1m Biobottle project, which aims to create new biodegradable bottles and bags that meet the requirements for packaging of different types of dairy products while complying with mechanical and thermal aspects.
The project is executed by seven companies and technology centers from five different countries.
Developed within the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program, participants in the project included VLB Berlin in Germany, CNR in Italy, Vizelpas and Espaçoplas in Portugal, OWS in Belgium, and Almuplas and Aljuan in Spain.
During the project, the biodegradable products have also successfully completed microbiological tests without affecting the product’s organoleptic properties.
The tests resulted in the development of monolayer bottles and caps as well as multilayer bags that are capable of resisting temperatures up to 95ºC.
The project used a reactive extrusion process to modify existing commercial material, which can be processed by conventional methods to obtain the different packaging formats.
Image: The new biopolymers can be used to manufacture biodegradable bottles, bags and caps. Photo: courtesy of Aimplas.