advanced materials
Technology Innovation Website Editor – 08/08/2022
Transparent cellulose film is already being produced on an experimental scale.
[Imagem: VTT]
wooden plastic film
Plastic films for food packaging are quickly becoming a material for worldwide consumption, thanks to the practicality and food savings they guarantee.
In addition to their protective properties, plastics are becoming important because consumers want packaging that allows them to see the product itself.
The problem is that it is almost impossible to build a recycling chain for these petroleum-based materials, and they end up in organic waste, along with food scraps.
With this in mind, a team from the Technical Research Center (VTT) in Finland decided to manufacture a more ecological alternative to these films.
They found a way through the woods.
Research has demonstrated that regenerated – or recrystallized – cellulose can efficiently replace plastic films.
Professor Ali said: “We can produce a flexible and transparent cellulose film. Consumers cannot distinguish between crystalline materials and traditional petroleum-based plastics. Cellulose film can resist moisture, but in nature it disappears just like harlin paper.”
The team has already built a pilot plant to begin migrating the process from the lab to the plant. They estimate that the wood base film could be widely used within five years.
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