Slovakian company Moneta has used nanotechnology to develop an acrylic based coating it claims will provide the opportunity to convert the thinnest packaging materials, dramatically reducing the usage of the materials.
This coating is said to transform the mechanical properties of the coated surface, significantly improving a film’s tear resistance. Moneta says it gives the opportunity to reduce the thickness of BOPP film for gravure printing from 15 micron to 3 micron without affecting accuracy of registration. When applied to regular aluminium foil, it allows printing on material as thin as 5 micron – ‘while the material actually strength and stiffness equivalent to 14 micron foil’. Wax paper treated with the same coating yields similar results as with aluminium foil, it is claimed.
As the nano based technology is applied with an acrylic water based coating, the final packaging product will be safe for contact with food and eligible for EEC and FDA certificates.
At present, this nanotechnology is proprietary and used only internally by Moneta for its own production of packaging materials, and the company intends to keep exclusivity on it.