Nativia Ness from potato starch and PLA
Germany At Interpack, Tagleef Industries unveiled its Nativia Ness, a potato starch- and polylactic acid (PLA)-based white voided biobased film.
The material was originally designed for confectionery film Mars, in cooperation with Mondi and Rodenburg Biopolymers. Mars is still evaluating the film for its flow-wrapped candy bars and has exclusivity on some aspects of the wrap.
A four-year, Europeanfunded project involving all players in the supply chain led to the creation of the laminated film, which lowers density and improves yield.
Nativia Ness was developed as an alternative to petroleum-based films. The film is voided, which Tagleef describes as involving a proprietary process that traps gas within the layer to lower the density of the film and provide a higher yield, as well as provide a white pearlescent appearance on both sides that reduces show-through. Rodenburg Biopolymers formulates the resin using starch created as a byproduct of potato processing, along with PLA.
Tagleef extrudes the resin into a three-layer lamination that offers twist and deadfold, is suitable for cold-seal adhesive, can be gravure and flexo printed, and can be used for hf/f/s and vf/f/s applications.
Mars is testing using a gravure-printed Nativia Ness film on existing machinery, cold-sealing the film after flow.
This film won the 11th Global Bioplastics Award for a chocolate bar wrapper developed for Mars and Snickers bars packaging.
“With thicknesses of 40 and 50μ, Nativia Ness has a white pearlescent appearance, which reduces show-through. It can be converted on flexo or rotogravure presses and complies with EC regulations for direct food contact,” said Emanuela Bardi of Taghleef Industries.
Nativia Ness has been under development for four years as an alternative to petroleum-based films. The three-layer coextruded film has gas trapped between the layers, which lowers the density of the film and provide a higher yield.