The recyclable mono-material PE pouches are developed using the latest polymers, inks, functional coatings, adhesives and conversion technology
Siegwerk and partners develop fully recyclable mono-material PE pouch. (Credit: Siegwerk Druckfarben AG & Co. KGaA)
Germany-based Siegwerk along with ExxonMobil, Henkel, Kraus Folie, Siegwerk and Windmöller & Hölscher has developed a fully recyclable mono-material PE pouch.
The collaboration has created the PE pouch that has similar properties to barely recyclable multi-material laminated pouches.
The recyclable mono-material PE pouches are developed using the latest polymers, inks, functional coatings, adhesives and conversion technology.
Siegwerk, a provider of inks and coatings, said that the latest offering enables the development of pouches with a high oxygen barrier, superior package integrity and better shelf appeal.
The pouch creates an almost colourless recyclate after the printing ink and the oxygen-barrier coating layer are removed.
Siegwerk is using its delamination/deinking primer technology to produce colourless recyclate. The technology was applied on a Windmöller & Hölscher MIRAFLEX, which is a flexo printing press with a downstream unit.
Based on the requirement, either a solvent-based (SB) or a water-based (WB) primer from Siegwerk’s CIRKIT ClearPrime is offered for production.
The pouch can be delaminated and deinked under industrial hot-washing conditions, resulting in a nearly colourless recycled product, the inks and coatings provider claimed.
The latest product offers high oxygen barrier properties by using Loctite Liofol BC 1582 RE, a recently launched 1-component barrier coating from Henkel, and CIRKIT OxyBar BC 1582 from Siegwerk.
The coating can be applied on both flexo and gravure presses at industrial machine speeds on various substrates for more transparency.
Siegwerk said that its coloured and white inks were used to meet these requirements.
Under the collaboration, the partners used Henkel’s solvent-free, two-component polyurethane laminating adhesive, LOCTITE LIOFOL LA 7102 RE / 6902 RE to enhance the recyclability of the pouch.
The packaging integrity for the product is achieved using ExxonMobil’s Exceed S and Exceed XP performance polyethylene along with Exact materials in the sealant layer.
The German firm said that the final pouch delivers a better shelf appeal using the expertise of all the partners.