Tetra pak has initiated an investigation in the industry to advance its objective of achieving the most sustainable food packaging based on materials of plant origin, in collaboration with MAXIV, the most modern synchrotron radiation laboratory in the world. The research aims to discover new knowledge about the nanostructure of plant fiber materials and its first approach focuses on optimizing the composition of the materials used for paper straws..
This is the first industrial research and development experiment of ForMAX, a new research station dedicated to the study of materials from forest sources, located in the MAX IV laboratory in Lund (Sweden).
Specifically, synchrotron radiation is a technique commonly used in scientific research as a powerful tool for materials science research and materials development and, compared to other X-ray sources, offers high luminosity, high directivity and energy variability, factors that make it very appropriate to investigate and deepen in terms of plant-based materials for packaging.
New plant fiber-based materials will bring new opportunities, but they must ensure food safety, be recyclable, and more resistant to liquids and moisture, while meeting the growing demands for sustainability.
Eva Gustavson, Vice President of Materials and Packaging at Tetra Pak, says: "To achieve our ambition to offer the world's most sustainable food packaging, made entirely from renewable or recycled materials from responsible sources, fully recyclable and carbon neutral, it is crucial and necessary to increase our Knowledge of the structure and properties of materials. In this sense, the collaboration with ForMAX will clearly help us in this mission, as we seek to increase the use of renewable fiber-based materials within packaging.”
In this regard, Kim Nygard, MAX IV's ForMAX Line Manager, says: “The ForMAX experiment is a milestone for both academia and industry. The research station is the first of its kind and will facilitate both fundamental and applied industrial research into how new and sustainable materials can be used in the future. We are proud to support Tetra Pak in its development of sustainable packaging materials for the future."
Finally, Eskil AndreassonTechnology Specialist, Tetra Pak Virtual Modelling, adds: “Our first experiment, starting with paper straws, will provide additional analysis capabilities on the response of paper straw material to changes in the environment in real time. , as well as the way in which the straw interacts with different types of liquids under strict conditions. These new insights will be applied to the development of the paper straws of the future in our virtual modeling tools, helping us to improve their functionality."
