Item
A newly discovered waterproofing coating for paper.
Executive summary
An aqueous coating of biopolymers which renders paper waterproof.
The biopolymers when coated onto paper maintain recyclability.
These compounds cause negligible weight gain to industry standard Kraft paper.
The compounds are fully biodegradable. Patents applied for: European No 07112475 : PCT/AU2008/001020
Background
The CRC SIIB – Cooperative Research Centre for Sugar Industry Innovation through Biotechnology (CRC Sugar) – is the leading Australian sugar industry research entity: www.crcsugar.com
Paper and paper products represent one of the most ubiquitous and useful packaging materials used globally. Also, these materials have one of the most highly developed recycling networks, resulting in high levels of re-use of post-consumer fibre.
As useful as paper fibres are in packaging, they do however suffer a significant in-service limitation – a lack of water repellency/proofing.
Currently two major technologies are utilised commercially to waterproof paper:
> coating/impregnation with a hydrophobic material/layer viz: tar, wax, oil, grease,
> lamination with a waterproofing barrier viz: plastic, aluminium foil.
Both methodologies render the paper fibre un-recyclable by commercial means. The CRC Sugar's technology overcomes this impediment to widen use of fully recyclable paper products in packaging.
The Technology
The CRC has identified biopolymers naturally occurring in the sugar cane plant, which when applied to conventional papers confer waterproofing qualities.
The compounds can be extracted from sugar cane after the commercial extraction of sugar has been completed
Opportunity
The CRC is seeking commercialisation partners in three major industry categories:
> paper coatings
> paper manufacture
> paper packaging
Item
A newly discovered waterproofing coating for paper.
Executive summary
An aqueous coating of biopolymers which renders paper waterproof.
The biopolymers when coated onto paper maintain recyclability.
These compounds cause negligible weight gain to industry standard Kraft paper.
The compounds are fully biodegradable. Patents applied for: European No 07112475 : PCT/AU2008/001020
Background
The CRC SIIB – Cooperative Research Centre for Sugar Industry Innovation through Biotechnology (CRC Sugar) – is the leading Australian sugar industry research entity: www.crcsugar.com
Paper and paper products represent one of the most ubiquitous and useful packaging materials used globally. Also, these materials have one of the most highly developed recycling networks, resulting in high levels of re-use of post-consumer fibre.
As useful as paper fibres are in packaging, they do however suffer a significant in-service limitation – a lack of water repellency/proofing.
Currently two major technologies are utilised commercially to waterproof paper:
> coating/impregnation with a hydrophobic material/layer viz: tar, wax, oil, grease,
> lamination with a waterproofing barrier viz: plastic, aluminium foil.
Both methodologies render the paper fibre un-recyclable by commercial means. The CRC Sugar's technology overcomes this impediment to widen use of fully recyclable paper products in packaging.
The Technology
The CRC has identified biopolymers naturally occurring in the sugar cane plant, which when applied to conventional papers confer waterproofing qualities.
The compounds can be extracted from sugar cane after the commercial extraction of sugar has been completed
Opportunity
The CRC is seeking commercialisation partners in three major industry categories:
> paper coatings
> paper manufacture
> paper packaging