Innovation in Coating Preparation at Innofibre

Author: Julien Bley, Engineer, Researcher at Innofibre

Decarbonizing various industrial sectors poses numerous challenges. In the packaging industry, replacing plastic with bio-sourced products can encounter obstacles when specific barrier properties are required, notably against oxygen and water vapor. Achieving adequate standards while maintaining recyclable and compostable cellulosic products is a challenge that Innofibre is addressing. To effectively meet these challenges, Innofibre has recently acquired and installed a pilot-scale coating kitchen. This new infrastructure, complementing existing pilot facilities, enhances Innofibre’s capabilities, particularly in conducting pilot trials for coating and barrier development in food applications.

The new coating kitchen is equipped with a continuous jet starch cooker capable of cooking up to 20 liters of starch per minute. It also features two batch cookers of 700 liters and 200 liters respectively. These are used for starch preparation and are adaptable for polyvinyl alcohols (PVA), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and other polymers requiring thermal treatment during preparation. A 700-liter high-shear mixer completes the equipment set, enabling efficient dispersion of pigments or other mineral fillers. All equipment is integrated into Innofibre’s pilot plant’s diistributed control system, ensuring precise control and meticulous monitoring of operational parameters during trials.

Once prepared, the coating colour undergoes filtration and is pumped into two 700-liter machine chests dedicated to conducting coating trials. This strategic addition to Innofibre’s facilities will facilitate applied research projects on polymer and biopolymer preparation for applications in the wet end of the pilot paper machine and the pilot coater. This advancement paves the way for developing new grades of specialty paper for packaging, such as oxygen and water vapor barrier papers, or alternatives to environmentally harmful perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) to enhance grease resistance in cardboard.

Picture of the new pilot coating kitchen at Innofibre