A PACKAGING LAMINATE AND A PACKAGE PRODUCED THEREFROM

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a laminated packaging material (10) for liquid-tight packages which, after use, may readily be biodegraded or composted. The packaging material (10) has a core layer (11) of biodegradable material and outer, moisture and liquid-tight layers (12, 14, respectively) similarly of biodegradable material which are applied to both sides of the core layer, the layers being bonded to the core layer (11) by means of interjacent layers (13, 15, respectively) of biodegradable binder. The packaging material (10) is produced in that a web of biodegradable material is covered or coated on both sides with an aqueous dispersion of a biodegradable material acting as binder in a quantity of between 0.5 and 5.0 g/m<2>, whereafter the applied binder layers are dried. The dried, coated web is united either with prefabricated web-shaped films of biodegradable material or with biodegradable material which is extruded onto both sides of the web, for the formation of the outer, moisture and liquid-tight layers (12 and 15) of the packaging material (10).

Description: A PACKAGING LAMINATE AND A PACKAGE PRODUCED THEREFROM TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a packaging laminate for a liquid- tight package, the packaging laminate comprising a core layer of biodegradable material and outer layers of biodegradable material which are applied on both sides of the core layer and are bonded with good bonding or adhesive force to the interjacent core layer. The present invention also relates to a liquid-tight package produced from the packaging laminate, as well as a method of producing the packaging laminate. Moreover, the present invention relates to the use of a packaging laminate comprising a core layer of biodegradable material and outer layers of biodegradable material applied on both sides of the core layer, for producing a liquid-tight package. BACKGROUND ART In the packaging art, use is often made of liquid-tight packages of a single-use, disposable nature which are produced from a sheet or web- shaped packaging laminate of the type which has a core layer of rigid, but foldable material, and outer, liquid-tight layers on both sides of the core layer. One such package which is very well known in the art is the Tetra Brik® which is produced by fold forming of a web-shaped packaging material which is provided with crease lines and which comprises a core layer of paper or paperboard and outer, liquid-tight thermoplastic coatings, normally polyethylene, which makes for the rational production of packages by heat sealing. Another well-known package of the type described by way of introduction is the Tetra Rex® which is produced from prefabricated sheet-shaped blanks which are provided with crease lines and which are made from a packaging laminate comprising a core layer of paper or paperboard and outer, liquid-tight thermoplastic coatings, preferably of polyethylene. In addition, the material in both of the above-disclosed, and also other known so-called single use disposable, packages may be provided with one or more additional layers of the same or other materials than those mentioned above, for example metal and other types of plastics in order, when necessary, to impart to the finished package supplementary product protection properties such as gas tightness, light protection, etc. A decisive factor in the choice of the composition of the packaging laminate is, on the one hand, that the package is to afford the best possible protection to the packed product and, on the other hand, that the packaging laminate makes possible a rational production of packages on an industrial scale using, for example, modern packing and filling machines of the type which forms, fills and seals packages at very high production output rates. Another important factor is naturally also that the packaging laminate must be easy to produce and that the thus produced package must be easy to handle and convenient to use. At the same rate as more stringent demands are being placed on greater savings in raw materials exploitation and on increased recycling and reuse of consumed packages, materials research and development in the packaging industry has recently focused more and more on producing and developing packaging materials that, to a greater extent than hitherto, make possible ecological and environmentally friendly production and recycling of packages, without neglecting the demands on the product protection and convenience in handling of the packages themselves. In line with this development trend, interest has been particularly focused on so-called biopolymers and similar materials from renewable raw materials sources as substitute materials for the previously used petroleum-based plastics, such as polyethylene. Packaging laminates comprising layers of non-petroleum based materials, for example biopolymers and similar biodegradable materials are per se known in the art. For example, patent specification EP-A-0 542 143 describes a packaging laminate comprising layers of paper, paperboard and biopolymers in which two or more paper or paperboard layers are bonded to one another with the aid of interjacent binder or adhesive layers of biodegradable material, for example starch or starch-based materials. Packages are produced from the known packaging laminate as disclosed in EP-A-0542 143 which, after their contemplated use, may be composted. A serious drawback inherent in the above-described, and also other similar prior art packaging laminates, is however that the internal adhesive or bonding strength between the packaging laminate layers is unsatisfactory and often insufficient to reliably hold together the individual material layers in a well-integrated laminate structure, which is required in order that the packaging laminate does not delaminate or otherwise become damaged while the packaging laminate is being used in a package. In other words, it has proved difficult to produce, from prior art packaging laminates of the biodegradable or compostable type, packages which satisfy the requirements on the best possible protection for the packed product. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION One object of the present invention is therefore to provide an indication as to how the above-described drawbacks and shortcomings in prior art biodegradable or compostable packaging laminates may be obviated. A further object of the present invention is to realise a biodegradable or compostable packaging laminate of the type described by way of introduction which possesses superior internal bonding strength between the individual material layers of the packaging laminate structure. SOLUTION These and other objects will be attained according to the present invention by means of the packaging laminate as defined in appended Claim 1. The terms "biodegradable" or "compostable" are taken to signify, both here and in the following description and appended Claims, that the material, when it is exposed to micro-organisms freely occurring in nature, is readily broken down or degraded (composted) into its natural component parts without the formation of environmentally unacceptable substances, and without the need to employ environmentally hazardous chemical degradation accelerators. The expressions "biodegradable" and "compostable", respectively, here encompass such materials as are broken down under natural conditions to their naturally occurring component parts in a quantity corresponding to at least 80 per cent, preferably at least 90 per cent and most preferably 100 per cent. Hereinafter, the expressions "biodegradable" and "compostable" will be employed alternatingly and interchangeably, but they are of equivalent import and meaning. As has already been mentioned, it has previously proved difficult to produce compostable or biodegradable packaging laminates possessing superior internal bonding or adhesive strength between individual material layers in the packaging laminate structure. In particular, it has proved difficult to be able, with good bonding strength, to bond the two outer layers of biodegradable material to the interjacent core layer of biodegradable material, irrespective of whether the layers are bonded directly to one another or by the intermediary of a layer of biodegradable material serving as adhesive or binder between the core layer and each respective outer layer. For example, attempts to bond outer layers of polylactide (which is a known example of a biodegradable material) direct to a core layer of wood pulp fibres, for example paperboard, has failed because of insufficient bonding strength between the layers. One explanation for the failure of earlier attempts to produce a well- integrated biodegradable or compostable packaging laminate may be that the two outer polylactide layers were extruded at far too low an extrusion temperature (at most approximately 200°C) which, on the other hand, must be low (i.e. at most approximately 200°C) in order to avoid thermal degradation of the polylactide. Polylactide is a valuable example of a biodegradable material for which there has long been a wish in the art to be able to utilise as moisture or liquid barrier in a packaging laminate. Polylactide is readily available and degrades to almost 100 per cent under the action of naturally occurring micro-organisms. A further valuable property inherent in polylactide is that it is heat sealable, which makes polylactide particularly attractive as a material in the outer layers of the packaging laminate, which thereby makes possible the production of tight and mechanically strong and durable sealing joints or seams by heat sealing during the reforming of the packaging laminate into packages. According to one particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wish to be able to use polylactide (and also other known biodegradable materials) as the outer moisture and liquid barrier layer in a packaging laminate is satisfied by means of a layer of an ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) disposed between the core layer of the packaging laminate and each respective outer polylactide layer. EVA is a biodegradable copolymer, as this expression is defined above, and has proved, in a surprisingly well-functioning manner, to be able to operate as adhesive or binder between the core layer of the packaging laminate and each respective outer polylactide layer. According to the invention, it has proved that the core layer and outer polylactide layers of the packaging laminate can be bonded to one another with extraordinarily good bonding strength even if the outer polylactide layers are extruded at low extrusion temperatures, such as at most approximately 200°C. In the present invention, this low extrusion temperature is, as opposed to the prior art technique, advantageous in that it makes possible the production of the packaging laminate at increased production output rates. According to the present invention, the core layer may, as has already been mentioned, consist of a material based on wood pulp fibres, for example paper or paperboard, which are well known examples of biodegradable materials often employed in the packaging industry to produce rigid, but foldable packaging laminates. Further examples of biodegradable materials which may be employed as core layer in the packaging laminate according to the present invention are so-called biopolymers which are selected from among the group consisting of aliphatic polyesters, polylactide and starch-based materials. When the core layer in the packaging laminate according to the invention consists of such a biopolymer, the biopolymer may preferably be foamed or expanded, which, in combination with the outer laminate layers, imparts increased rigidity to the packaging laminate because of an I-beam effect well-known to a person skilled in the art. Further advantageous and expedient embodiments of the packaging laminate according to the present invention have moreover been given the characterizing features as set forth in appended subclaims 2 to 8. FURTHER OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION AND THEIR SOLUTION Yet a further object of the present invention is to realise a simple, but efficient method of producing the above-described packaging laminate according to the invention. This object is attained by means of the method described in appended Claim 9 or 10 which, in its particularly preferred embodiments, displays the characterizing features as set forth in appended subclaims 11 and 12. Still a further object of the present invention is to realise a biodegradable or compostable liquid-tight package. This object is attained by means of the package as defined in appended Claim 14. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described in greater detail hereinbelow, with particular reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which: Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a cross-section through a packaging laminate according to the present invention; Fig. 2 schematically illustrates how the packaging laminate of Fig. 1 may be produced employing the method according to one embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 schematically illustrates how the packaging laminate in Fig. 1 may be produced employing the method according to another embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 4 schematically illustrates a package of conventional type produced from a packaging laminate according to the present invention. It should be observed that the following description of the present invention is intended solely to illustrate the invention, and that the embodiments shown on the accompanying Drawings are merely non- restrictive examples of practical and preferred embodiments of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Fig. 1 thus schematically shows a cross-section through a sheet or web-shaped packaging material according to the present invention which has been given the general reference numeral 10. Although the packaging laminate 10 in Fig. 1 is illustrated as displaying but five individual material layers 11 - 15, the packaging laminate 10 may thus comprise one or more additional layers without departing from the inventive concept as herein disclosed and defined in the appended Claims. However, for the sake of clarity, only those material layers essential to an understanding of the present invention are shown. The packaging laminate 10 in Fig. 1 comprises a configurationally rigid, but foldable core layer 11 of biodegradable or compostable material which imparts to the packaging laminate 10 the desired rigidity and mechanical stability. Examples of biodegradable or compostable materials which may be employed as core layer in the packaging laminate 10 according to the invention are renewable fibre materials based on wood pulp, such as paper, paperboard etc., which are often employed in the packaging industry. Other examples of usable biodegradable or compostable core layer materials according to the invention are the previously mentioned biopolymer materials which are also known to persons skilled in the art. Such biopolymers may be aliphatic polyesters, polylactide or starch-based materials. The biopolymer employed in the core layer 11 may be a homogeneous material, but preferably has a foamed or expanded material structure which contributes in imparting increased mechanical strength and rigidity to the packaging laminate 10 by a so-called I-beam effect as was mentioned previously. Outer layers 12 and 14, respectively, of biodegradable or compostable material are disposed on both sides of the core layer 11. The two outer layers 12 and 14 are moisture and liquid-tight and are employed to impart to the packaging laminate 10 tightness properties vis-a-vis moisture and liquids. Examples of usable moisture and liquid-protective biodegradable materials according to the invention are the above-mentioned biopolymers, i.e. aliphatic polyesters, polylactide and starch-based materials. In the illustrated, preferred embodiment of the packaging laminate 10 according to the invention, the two outer layers 12 and 14 consist of polylactide which is heat-sealable and thereby makes possible the production of packages through a simple conventional heat sealing of the packaging laminate 10. The two outer polylactide layers 12 and 14 are bonded to the core layer 11 by the intermediary of interjacent adhesive or binder layers 13 and 15, respectively, of biodegradable materials, as this expression has been defined in the foregoing. One preferred example of such a biodegradable binder or adhesive according to the present invention is, as was mentioned earlier, an ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) which, with extraordinarily good bonding strength, can bond the two outer polylactide layers 12 and 14 to the core layer 11 for the formation of a well-integrated packaging laminate 10. The superior bonding strength between the two outer polylactide layers 12 and 14 and the core layer 11 will also be achieved when the polylactide layers 12 and 14 are applied by extrusion at low temperature, for example 200°C or lower which, in the known prior art technique would have been far too low to achieve satisfactory bonding strength between the polylactide layers and the paper or paperboard layer. The packaging laminate 10 in Fig. 1 can, according to the invention, be produced in the manner which is illustrated schematically in Fig. 2. In order to facilitate a comparison between Figs. 1 and 2, the same reference numerals have been employed for the same or corresponding packaging laminate parts, but with the addition of a prima symbol ('). A web 11' of paper or paperboard, or a biopolymer, is unwound from a magazine reel (not shown) in the direction intimated by the arrow to the left in Fig. 2. The web 11' is covered or coated at 16 with an aqueous dispersion of biodegradable material, preferably an ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), which is applied in thin continuous layers 13' and 15', respectively, on both sides of the web. The aqueous dispersion is applied to the web 11' in a quantity corresponding to between 0.5 and 5.0 g/m^ which, according to the present invention, is an optimum application quantity for achieving the sought-for superior bonding strength between the layers in the packaging laminate. After application of the aqueous dispersion of EVA, the coated web 11' is dried at 17, by heating so as to remove (evaporate) water and adjust the moisture content of the applied binder layers 13' and 15' to a suitable level. The dried web 11' is thereafter led via a bending roller 18 through the nip between heated rollers 19 at the same time as prefabricated web-shaped films 12' and 14' of biodegradable or compostable material, preferably polylactide, are united with the web from both sides thereof and are permanently bonded to the web under the application of heat and pressure on passage through the nip between the heated rollers 19. The laminated packaging material web 10' from the lamination operation at the rollers 19 may thereafter be rolled up onto magazine reels for further transport and handling, or be led into a packing machine of the type which, from web-shaped packaging materials, forms, fills and produces finished packages in a per se known manner. Fig. 3 schematically illustrates a method of producing a packaging laminate 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Also in this Figure, the same reference numerals as in Fig. 1 have been employed for the same or corresponding packaging laminate parts, but with the addition of a second symbol ("). The method according to the invention as illustrated in Fig. 3 differs from the method according to the invention which is illustrated in Fig. 2 principally in that the two outer polylactide payers 12" and 14" are produced by an extrusion process in connection with the lamination process employing the heated rollers 19, while corresponding polylactide layers in the preceding Example consisted of web-shaped prefabricated polylactide films. After covering or coating at 16 with an aqueous dispersion of ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) in a quantity of between 0.5 and 5.0 g/m^ on both sides of the web 11", and drying of the applied EVA layers 13" and 15" at 17, the web 11" is led via the bending roller 18 through the nip between the heated rollers 19, at the same time as thin continuous layers 12" and 14" of biodegradable or compostable material, preferably polylactide, are extruded by means of extruders 20 and 21, respectively, onto both sides of the web, for the formation of a well-integrated web-shaped packaging laminate 10". Also in this case, the thus produced web-shaped packaging laminate 10" may be rolled up onto magazine reels for transport and further handling, or be led into a conventional packing and filling machine of the type which forms, fills and seals packages in a per se known manner. Finally, Fig. 4 schematically illustrates the upper portion of a conventional packaging container 22 of the Tetra Brik® type which may be produced from a packaging laminate 10 according to the invention. The packaging container 22 in Fig. 4 is produced from a web-shaped packaging laminate which is provided with crease lines, in that both of the longitudinal edges of the web are united with one another in a lap seal or joint for the formation of a tube. The tube is filled with the desired contents and is divided into closed packages by repeated transverse sealing of the tube transversely of the longitudinal direction of the tube and beneath the relevant level of contents in the tube. The packages are separated from one another by incisions in the transverse sealing zones and are given the desired geometric configuration, normally parallelepipedic, by a final forming and sealing operation, for the formation of finished, filled packages 22 of the type shown in the Figure. After emptying, the packaging container 22 according to the invention may be composted in an environmentally and ecologically acceptable manner by biodegradation, without accompanying, environmentally hazardous chemical degradation products. In order to accelerate the biodegradation or composting of the used packages according to the invention, these packages may be ground or comminuted by other means in order to facilitate access for moisture and micro-organisms to the biodegradable material in the ground or comminuted mass of packaging material. One particular advantage inherent in the packaging container according to the present invention is, thus, that it mat readily and rapidly be degraded or broken down into its naturally occurring component parts without the need to admix hazardous chemical additives. Hence, it will be apparent from the foregoing disclosures that the objects of the present invention may easily and efficiently be attained employing readily available materials from renewable raw materials sources and employing already existing techniques and equipment. As has been pointed out previously, the foregoing description is merely intended to illuminate the present invention, not to restrict its scope. It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that a plurality of various alterations and modifications in the selection of number and composition of each individual material layer included in the packaging material may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive concept as this is defined in the appended Claims. For example, the above particularly described and illustrated packaging laminate may include one or more additional layers of the same or other materials than those described in the foregoing, if desired to impart to the packaging laminate increased or supplementary production protection properties.

Claims: WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. A packaging laminate for a liquid-tight package (22), the packaging laminate (10) comprising a core layer (11) of biodegradable material, and outer layers (12, 14) of biodegradable material which are applied on both sides of the core layer and are bonded with good bonding or adhesive strength to the interjacent core layer (11), characterized in that said outer layers (12, 14) are bonded to the core layer (11) by the intermediary of a layer (13, 15) of a binder or adhesive which is similarly biodegradable and which is applied between the core layer (11) and each respective outer layer (12, 14). 2. The packaging laminate as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that each respective biodegradable binder layer (13, 15) consists of an ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA). 3. The packaging laminate as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each respective biodegradable binder layer (13, 15) is applied by covering or coating with an aqueous dispersion of the biodegradable binder. 4. The packaging laminate as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the biodegradable material in the core layer (11) is a fibre material based on wood pulp, such as paper, paperboard, etc. 5. The packaging laminate as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the biodegradable material in the core layer (11) is a biopolymer. 6. The packaging laminate as claimed in Claim 5, characterized in that the biopolymer is selected from among the group which consists of aliphatic polyesters, polylactide and starch-based materials. 7. The packaging laminate as claimed in Claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the material in the core layer (11) consists of foamed or expanded biopolymer. 8. The packaging laminate as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3 or 5 to 7, characterized in that the core layer (11) and the outer layers (12, 14) are produced by extrusion. 9. A method of producing a packaging laminate (10") according to Claim I, characterized in that a web (11") of paper or paperboard, or a biopolymer is, on one or both of its sides, coated with a thin continuous layer (13", 15" respectively) of an aqueous dispersion of an ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer; that the coated web is dried for removing (evaporating) water; and that the dried web is covered with a thin layer (12", 14" respectively) of a biopolymer which is extruded onto both sides of the web for the formation of the finished, well-integrated packaging laminate (10"). 10. A method of producing a packaging laminate (10') according to Claim 1, characterized in that a web (11') of paper or paperboard, or a biopolymer is, on one or both of its sides, coated with a thin continuous layer (13', 15' respectively) of an aqueous dispersion of an ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer; that the coated web is dried for removing (evaporating) water; and that the dried web is brought together with and bonded to prefabricated web-shaped films (12', 14', respectively) of biopolymer which is applied on both sides of the web for the formation of the finished, well-integrated packaging laminate (10'). II. The method as claimed in Claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the aqueous dispersion of ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer is applied in a quantity corresponding to between 0.5 and 5.0 g/ m^ on one of both sides, respectively, of the web (11', 11"). 12. The method as claimed in Claim 10, characterized in that the extruded biopolymer consists of polylactide. 13. A liquid-tight packaging container (22), characterized in that it is produced by fold formation and heat sealing of a sheet or web-shaped packaging laminate (10) comprising a core layer (11) of biodegradable material, and outer layers (12, 14, respectively) of biodegradable material which are applied to both sides of the core layer and which are bonded to the core layer by means of a binder layer (13, 15, respectively) of biodegradable material provided between the core layer and each respective outer layer. 14. The packaging container as claimed in Claim 13, characterized in that the biodegradable binder layer consists of an ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer. 15. Use of a packaging laminate (10) according to any of Claims 1 to 8 for a liquid-tight biodegradable or compostable packaging container (22).

Inventors: BERLIN MIKAEL, HENNINGSSON KARIN, BERLIN, MIKAEL, HENNINGSSON, KARIN
Applicants: BERLIN MIKAEL, HENNINGSSON KARIN, TETRA LAVAL HOLDINGS & FINANCE, BERLIN, MIKAEL, HENNINGSSON, KARIN, TETRA LAVAL HOLDINGS & FINANCE S.A.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B65D65
IPC codes: B32B7, B32B27, B65D5, B65D65