PLA film ideal for heat-resistant food packaging

Innovia and Corbion Purac have combined expertise to create a PLA (polylactic acid) film that withstands higher temperatures. The transparent film would be suitable for food and non-food packaging.

Biopolymers on the market today, including PLA, have limited heat resistance. Brand owners and packaging converters are therefore limited to oil-based plastics for many applications. Corbion Purac has introduced high-heat PLA before, and Innovia recognised an opportunity to work together to further develop a bio-based, transparent PLA film that would exhibit less shrinkage at high temperatures and offer properties closer to oil-based PET.

The new PLA film will be able to withstand the temperatures required for sterilisation, thereby making it ideal for food packaging such as pouches for juice and soup. Non-food applications could include release liners for pressure sensitive products, window films, and protective films for smartphone screens. Many of these applications require thermal stability during processing or use.

“Dimensional stability, particularly at high temperatures is a real weakness in biofilms. This new development will fill a performance gap in the market and is a great opportunity for both Innovia and Corbion Purac,” says Steve Langstaff, product development manager at Innovia.

Corbion Purac’s lactide monomers are sourced from GMO free, renewable feedstocks such as sugarcane, and form the basis for high performance PLA. The resulting homopolymers have already proven to withstand boiling water, and can now boast performance characteristics to rival their oil-based counterparts. As a result, PLA can replace oil-based plastics and alleviate our dependency on fossil fuels.

"Innovia, a recognised leading player in the global film industry, is the right partner for Corbion Purac to develop this groundbreaking PLA film. By pooling our expertise and combining our research strengths, we can develop a biobased performance film to rival traditional, oil-based standards. This will provide brandowners with the opportunity to select a more sustainable alternative for their film applications," says Jeroen Jonker, senior vice president Bioplastics at Corbion Purac.

Together, the companies have successfully produced a range of prototype transparent films. These will be available for viewing at the K Show, Hall 5, Corbion Purac stand 5B22, from 16 -23  October in Dusseldorf, Germany.

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