Product of the Month: Actgreen Barrier Coatings from Actega

What does the product do?
The ACTGreenbarrier coatings are a range of advanced water-based barrier coatings and next generation thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) dispersions.They provide an effective, sustainable alternative to traditional plastic PE laminates used across the packaging industry. The water-based products simplify both packaging production and end product recycling, which involves specialist technologies to separate the plastic from the cardboard substrate.

When was the product launched?
October 2020.

What was the thought process when the product was conceived?
This product was designed around the commitment to make a contribution to sustainability and respond to the increasing pressures from customers and brand owners regarding environmental issueswhile optimising the production processes. Finding environmentally friendly alternatives is one of the greatest challenges within the packaging and printing industries.

Please explain.
With both fill products and packaging needing to be mutually protected from the effects of oils, fats, water and external substances, plastic polyethylene (PE) laminates have traditionally been adopted across the packaging industry – despite the complex, costly and increasingly scrutinised recycling process, which involves using specialist technologies to separate the plastic from the cardboard substrate.

This product, however, comprises barrier coatings and TPE dispersions for coating and binding which are all water-based, enabling substrates to be widely and easily recycled, utilising standard practices. Facilitating time and cost efficiencies throughout the production line, and offering extreme versatility through a series of possible secondary features, ranging from heat sealability to heat resistance, the ACTGreen barrier coatings provide an effective, economical and truly sustainable solution for conscientious printers and packaging converters looking to answer the ever-increasing call for reduced plastic use.

What is the target market(s)?
Depending on the product, barrier coatings are dedicated to packaging converters and printers or the paper industry.The FMCGmarket is the target audience for this product as the issue of plastic packaging remains important and universal within this market.Food packaging, such as takeaway packaging, paper cups, and fast-food packaging is another major target market as they contain PE coated substrates.

What kind of substrates it can handle?
Depending on the product, barrier coatings from Actegaare able to provide effective protection from water vapour, water, oil and fat, with additional barrier effects against alcohol, alkaline and acidic liquids and dairy products.

Further to this, its novel aqueous TPE dispersions with Yunicotechnology make it possible to combine these different properties within a single dispersion – for example, specific barrier properties; tactile effects like smooth, soft, silky, rough; heat sealability in high and low temperature ranges; and certified recyclability.By compounding TPE components, Actegais able to adjust variable properties and create tailored solutions which are unique to each client’s needs and compatible with various substrates, such as paper and cardboard.

Your focus is on sustainability?
Throughout our ten operative companies, we have always championed our high customer orientation, and with production facilities across the globe, we are extremely well-placed to listen and respond to our customers in each market. What we are hearing universally is that the call for sustainability is, understandably, louder than ever.

We’ve worked hard to ensure that our ACTGreen barrier coatings provide a robust and viable alternative to non-recyclable PE linings that will allow packaging manufacturers to not only respond to the increasing pressures that they’re feeling from brand owners regarding environmental issues, but to optimise their own operations and production processes too. The unavoidable need to shift away from plastics and find workable, profitable and environmentally sound alternatives is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges facing the packaging industry today, and we are proud to be taking firm steps in the right direction with this latest offering.

What is the USP of the product?
The ACTGreenbarrier coatings portfolio does not only benefit our customers in terms of creating a more streamlined production process and invaluable cost savings, it also benefits the wider world. Businesses can transform their systems and processes to confront the lengthy delivery times or storage costs of PE laminated board, and therefore, thrive in the competitive and demanding packaging sector.

How easy is it to use?
Barrier coatings are highly specialised systems. There is no standard solution. Therefore, Actegaworks with customers and partners to match the appropriate coating to the barrier performance requirements of each application. Water-based barrier coatings are compatible across sheetfed offset, flexo and gravure printing and with the possibility to process via different coaters from roller to air knife.

What training and support are on offer?
Mostly, the barrier effect depends on the filling material, the substrate used and the application weight. In order to be able to make the right recommendation, information on the printing process, substrate, finishing and final packaging is necessary. Since the entire production process is decisive, Actegadoes not only carry out standardised test methods in advance, but also those tests that are tailored to the individual customer. Overall, Actegarelies on a close cooperation with customers and partners. The aim is to jointly and continuously optimise and further develop the technology of barrier coatings for packaging.

Which coatings do you advise for usage with 100%food-grade LDPE paperboard?
Actega has solutions to replace the PE layer on the outsideof paper cups. Concerning the inner side, we are working on different solutions.The coatings have shown good results in barrier and sealing performance in testruns. Soon we will roll out our cup solution to a broader customer base.In coating, we have products like TerraWet, TerraFlex and Aquaprintwater-based coatings and TerraEffekt Pearlescent coating. These coatings do notcontain any mineral oils as a constitutional component. POSH (polyolefinoligomeric saturated hydrocarbon) is also not included as a constitutionalcomponent of the recipe.

Contact Details:
Amit Save, senior manager, business development,India
ActegaTerra GmbH
Mobile +91 98702 34504
Email: amit.save@altana.com
www.actega.com/terra