Ticona Topas COC Barrier Material Utilized in Joint-Development Folding Carton of VG Nicolaus and Henkel
- Published: October 17, 2003, By PRESS RELEASE
KELSTERBACH, GERMANY—German packaging converter VG Nicolaus GmbH reports that joint-development work with its customer Henkel (Düsseldorf, Germany) on a "novel type" of cardboard (folding carton) package saves the use of an additional plastic film wrapper and subsequently reduces package-production costs. The companies say, by using Ticona's Topas COC (cyclic olefin copolymer) , they've been able to integrate the moisture barrier directly into the cardboard packaging utilized for Henkel's Sil stain-removing powder.
The technical polymers business of Frankfurt-based Celanese AG, Ticona says its Topas COC has an excellent moisture barrier effect, "five times higher than that of low-density polyethylene (LDPE). On account of this," adds Ticona, "Topas COC has become a successfully established material, particularly for packaging challenging products such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food."
According to the companies involved, VG Nicolaus developed the novel combination of cardboard, a polymer barrier layer (Topas COC), and paper. "The Topas COC layer provides the required moisture protection at a thickness of only 20 g/m2." As a result, the plastics content in the package remains below the five percent limit specified by Germany's DSD Green Dot system, which mandates eco-friendly paper packaging. "This allows the packaging material to qualify as eco-friendly, single-material packaging and so incur only low DSD charges," adds the manufacturers.
Production in Kempten
VG Nicolaus manufactures the Sil stain-remover package in Kempten, Germany, and the first step in the package production involves the manufacture of the barrier cardboard. Explains a Ticona press release, "The cardboard and paper are extrusion laminated with the Topas COC barrier layer, and blanks are cut. These then can be printed and folded like conventional cardboard [paperboard] in a subsequent manufacturing operation. Production of the cardboard pack is optimized to ensure sufficient impermeability, even in critical areas," adds Ticona.
Ticona also states, "The advance represented by this novel packaging is made particularly clear in a direct comparison with packaging that incorporates a barrier layer produced from standard commercially available LDPE. To achieve the level of moisture protection provided by Topas COC, an LDPE content of around 20 percent would be required in the cardboard pack. Such packaging would then be classified as a composite material and be commercially uneconomical because of its high disposal costs."
Learn more about VG Nicolaus, a business of the Van Genechten Packaging Group (VGP), at vangenechten.com.
Visit Henkel at henkel.com.
For more information about Ticona's Topas COC, contact Ticona GmbH at +49 (0) 180-584-2662 (Germany) or +49 (0) 693-051-6299 (EU); email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; in the Americas at 800/833-4882; 908/522-7500; email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or visit ticona.com.
