The document presents the results of the technical upgrades of the compounding and formulation facilities at the project partners IPC (France) and Fraunhofer IVV (Germany). It demonstrates the feasibility of the processing of bio-based plastics, namely PLA, into a film with an oxygen barrier suitable for packaging applications. The upgrades were performed on the METEOR® line at IPC and the high-shear mixing equipment of FHG-IVV for design of novel formulations and their applications as bio-based, bio-degradable materials.
IPC upgraded its METEOR® line with a film cast line, consisting of a flat die in association with a take-off station, to be able to produce films of 50 to 100 μm in thickness and 350 mm in width. This upgrade was validated by the successful production of PLA-based films, combining compounding and converting in a single step. IVV upgraded the formulation equipment in order to produce PLA films with an oxygen transmission rate of below 100cm3/(m2*d*bar). An additional nanocomposite coating provides an OTR of below 0.01cm3/(m2*d*bar) when coated on the extruded PLA film.
Finally this reports summarizes thermomechanical properties of PLA films made with the methodologies described herein.