Article Upscaled Multilayer Dispersion Coating Application for Barrier Packaging: PLAX and bioORMOCER ® Eetu Nissinen 1, * , Adina Anghelescu-Hakala 1 , Roosa Hämäläinen 1 , Pauliina Kivinen 1 , Ferdinand Somorowsky 2 , Jani Avellan 3 and Rajesh Koppolu 1
1 Sustainable Products and Materials, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., 02044 Espoo, Finland; adina.anghelescu-hakala@vtt.fi (A.A.-H.); roosa.hamalainen@vtt.fi (R.H.); pauliina.kivinen@vtt.fi (P.K.); rajesh.koppolu@vtt.fi (R.K.) 2 Fraunhofer-Institut für Silicatforschung ISC, Neunerplatz 2, 97082 Würzburg, Germany; ferdinand.somorowsky@isc.fraunhofer.de 3 Walki Group Oy, Keilaranta 6, 4th Floor, 02150 Espoo, Finland; jani.avellan@walki.com * Correspondence: eetu.nissinen@vtt.fi Abstract: The shift from fossil-based packaging materials to more sustainable alternatives is driven by evolving environmental regulations aiming for enhanced recyclability and biodegradability. Dispersion coatings, as opposed to extrusion-based approaches, offer sig- nificant advantages by reducing the coat weights, but generally, multiple coating layers are needed to meet functional performance requirements. This study explores the application of upscaled multilayer dispersion coatings comprising polylactic acid-based coating (PLAX) and hybrid nanomaterial lacquer (bioORMOCER ® ) on commercial base papers for barrier packaging using semi-pilot reverse gravure and industrial-scale rod coaters. One multilayer structure demonstrated a low water vapour transmission rate (WVTR), achieving a WVTR of 12 g/(m 2 · day) under standard conditions and a 78% reduction of WVTR compared to the substrate under elevated humidity. The other multilayer structure exhibited an excellent oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of 2.3 cc/(m 2 · day · bar) at dry conditions, which is comparable to conventional high-performance alternatives. Both multilayer coatings enhanced the grease and mineral oil barriers significantly, as heptane vapour transmission rate (HVTR) reductions exceeded 97%. The multilayer coatings demonstrated strong poten- tial for scalable production of sustainable, high-barrier packaging materials. These findings highlight the capability of dispersion coatings to replace traditional fossil-based barriers, advancing the development of environmentally friendly packaging solutions.
Academic Editor: Gianni Barucca
Received: 13 January 2025 Revised: 7 February 2025 Accepted: 9 February 2025 Published: 11 February 2025
Keywords: multilayer coatings; polylactic acid; nanomaterial; barrier coating; packaging
Citation: Nissinen, E.; Anghelescu- Hakala, A.; Hämäläinen, R.; Kivinen, P.; Somorowsky, F.; Avellan, J.; Koppolu, R. Upscaled Multilayer Dispersion Coating Application for Barrier Packaging: PLAX and bioORMOCER ® . Coatings 2025 , 15 , 214. https://doi.org/10.3390/ coatings15020214 Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/).
1. Introduction Multilayer barrier packaging is a critical technology in industries such as food packag- ing, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, designed to enhance the preservation of the product by combining barrier layers with tailored mechanical and barrier properties. Multilayer bar- rier packaging is favoured for its ability to provide a high barrier against gases like oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, moisture and liquid barriers, sterility, flexibility, and me- chanical strength, which are essential for maintaining product quality and extending shelf life [1–5]. However, the complexity of multilayer structures that often combine different materials poses significant challenges for recycling [6–8], e.g., materials like polyethylene (PE), aluminium, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are difficult to separate due to their strong interlayer bonds [9–11]. To foster a circular bioeconomy, European packaging
Coatings 2025 , 15 , 214
https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15020214
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