[nanoPost] Nano for Packaging

Company Switzerland

Our activities in nanotechnology grew out of our business units concerned with the converting of synthetic materials, i.e. grinding & dispersion, extrusion systems and thermal processes for PET treatment and recycling, currently amounting to an annual revenue of EUR 150 million.

However, the converting of nanoparticles in plastics and liquid matrices such as coatings is not an easy task. Small nanoparticles have a very high specific surface area and therefore they interact strongly.

Put in very simple terms, with our nanotechnology activities, we close the gap between the producers and users of nanoparticles. We bring ready-to-use nanoparticles that are readily convertible to our customer. Therefore, the company transforms the functionality of nanoparticles into applications for customers. We do this via our proprietary ennoblement process in agitator bead mills through the use of the Small Molecule Surface Modification (SMSM) technology. Thus we buy low quality nanomaterials, that are incompatible with our customer's converting technology, and transform them into ready-to-use tailor-made dispersions or filled granulates for our customers.

In the SMSM technology, small molecules chemically bind to the surface of the nanoparticles and act as small surfactants. The role of these surfactants is threefold: (1) they support the deagglomeration process in the agitator bead mill, (2) they ensure dispersability/wettability in the target matrix (e.g., a plastic during compounding, a raw polymer, a lacquer and so on) and (3) they provide crosslinking of the nanoparticles to the target matrix (or almost any other functionalization depending on the application). Those three roles of the SMSM are crucial for industrial applications of nanoparticles.

We can support your client in the following applications:

Incorporation of the transparent UV-barrier function in packaging materials through immobilised zinc oxide nanoparticles
Increase of the tensile strength of packaging materials through the use of polymerizable nanoparticles

In general, we can help whenever there is a need to incorporate nanoparticles in a matrix to achieve a specific functionality. Our business model foresees two options:

The sourcing of tailormade ready-to-use preparations containing the desired nanoparticles from us
The purchase of converting equipment from us as well as the sourcing of the tailored additive to perform the ennoblement process on site at the customer