Wednesday, October 8, 2014

New Innovations in Plastic Packaging

This summer Avantium closed a $50 million deal to create a polyethylene furanoate (PEF) bottle. PEF is a material made from plant-based 2nd generation feedstock. This new bio-based resin could bring changes to the plastics packaging market as Coca-Cola, Danone, Alpla, and others have invested in Avantium’s commercial scale plant.

Some of the benefits of PEF include its sustainability factor as well as some performance advantages. According to packaging expert Gordon Bockner, PEF has a superior gas barrier when compared to PET packaging and also has better tensile strength which allows for improved light-weighting and superior thermal stability without heat-setting. However, Bockner also notes that PET packaging still remains strong in the US and that although a 100% bio-PET molecule does not yet exist, it may in the future.

At Mark-10, we have extensive experience working with the packaging industry, satisfying numerous applications including t-peel, 90-degree peel, tensile, top load, cap torque, and may others. To learn more about Mark-10 solutions for the packaging and other industries, visit our website. We can also be found on Twitter and LinkedIn where we post more industry news and company updates.

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