Available Technologies

Executive Summary

Flexible plastic films and labels are used extensively for packaging applications. Increasingly there are consumer, company and government demands for better end of life products to minimize landfill waste. However, many of these products have other materials such as inks, coatings and adhesive that can impact the end of life properties of the packaging composition. Researchers at Michigan State University have recently developed a new tie layer adhesive composition that allows excellent bonding between common film layers and is expected to be biodegradable.

Description of the Technology

The technology is based on a unique synthesized tie-layer adhesive that is fully biodegradable and shows excellent adhesion between various polymer layers. Various multilayer film combinations have been made with this tie-layer adhesive by cast film extrusion or compression molding including films with PBAT, PBO, PBS, PLA, G-Polymer with oxygen barrier and tested for barrier properties. In addition, the films have been laminated to Kraft paper showing excellent adhesion to paper as well.

Benefits

• Excellent interlayer adhesion between packaging film layers
• Can bond film to paper
• Good barrier properties. Technology can achieve <2.2 g-mm/m2/day WVTR and OTR(50%/23^oC) <0.42 cc-mm/m2/day.
• The structure is biodegradable.

Applications

• Packaging films for food
• Adhesives for labels
• Laminated films on paperboard

Patent Status

• Patent pending

Licensing Rights

Full licensing rights available

Inventors

Dr. Muhammad Rabnawaz, Dr. Mohamed Abdelwahab, Dr. Ajmir Khan, Gurjot Singh

TECH ID

TEC2025-0075