Browsing by Author "Räisänen, Heidi"

Sustainable development and fluctuating petroleum prices encourage manufacturing packaging materials in a more natural and cost-effective way. Green economy utilizes renewable raw materials from the nature which can be used in larger scale applications such as packaging industry. Barrier properties can be enhanced by manufacturing multilayer structures with a coating made of organic materials such as cellulose nanofibrils (CNF). With CNF it is possible to provide barrier and mechanical improvement to packaging material at low added cost. Together with hydrophobic films (e.g., HDPE, LDPE) also the low water vapor permeability and heat sealing properties can be enhanced. The aim of this thesis was to utilize CNF as a barrier layer for bio-based flexible food packaging pouches. A study consisted of examining 1-layer bio-HDPE film, 2-layer bio-HDPE/CNF film and 3-layer HDPE/CNF/LDPE film and testing their permeability (for oxygen, water vapor and aroma), sealability, tensile strength, influence of irradiation and aroma compounds (clove), and suitability for modified atmosphere packaging, MAP (with hazelnuts). The 2- and 3-layer multilayer films provided very good oxygen barrier under dry conditions, although aroma exposure increased the oxygen permeability rates. Pouches made of the 2-layer film were the most feasible for MAP, even though the 3-layer film would also have been an alternative if the film quality had been optimal. The oxidation of fatty acids in hazelnuts could be slowed down by using multilayer structure including CNF barrier under modified atmospheric conditions. This study helps to verify the feasibility of the bio-based multilayer films as a new food packaging material, and demonstrates the use of CNF as a high-barrier layer in a laminate. Bio-HDPE/CNF/bio-LDPE multilayer has potential for utilizing it in flexible food packaging pouches if the manufacture process is standardized leading into homogeneous film quality.