This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Itene busca mejores envases mediante la nanotecnología

37% Of the container and packaging used in Europe is plastic

Itene seeks best packaging through nanotechnology

Drafting PU19/05/2009

Itene uses nanotechnology to modify the properties of the material and thus make them 'on demand' with best performance. Among other research, the Institute works in new more resistant biodegradable materials, in the introduction of active substances in packaging that extended the useful life of the food, or to get reinforcement antioxidant, antimicrobial or intelligent packaging materials.

37% Of the container and packaging used in Europe is currently plastic, a total of 19.4 million tonnes. The plastics used to make containers and packaging are those which come from oil, only 29% of the plastic materials that are discarded in Europe are recovered in the form of energy. The future more than likely shortage of oil and the sustainable development make it necessary to research into new materials, renewable and biodegradable, one of the priority areas of this Institute.

Table. polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP)

About the commercial prospects of biodegradable packaging, in recent years, these materials are gained ground in the plastics sector, as a result of the emergence of government regulations. The European bioplastics market was 23,000 tonnes in 2000 and is expected to grow to a value of 1,000,000 tonnes in 2010 and around 4 million in 2020. 2020 It is estimated that the percentage of polymers derived from renewable resources assume 70-80% of the total European market for biodegradable materials.

Nanotechnology developments, Itene

For this reason Itene, as an Institute that bets for the research to the reality of the companies, makes it through two technologies within the area of the 'Nano'; strengthen and improve the characteristics of the materials based on embedded nano-particles (nano-clays, cellulose, etc.); and to introduce 'active substances' in packaging to prolong the life of food using as support nano-clays or nano-celulosas.

Itene uses these developments in new biodegradable materials, which are by nature very resistant, and through nanotechnology is achieved to make them more resistant to maintain its characteristics of biodegradability 'tests'. In addition, nanometric treatments are also used to increase the 'oxygen barrier' of these materials, i.e., to make them more impenetrable to the oxygen and preserve food better. In addition, also used this technology in conventional materials, adding nanocargas to improve their properties and to lower production costs.

Itene will participate also the month of March in the I-Tech Partner Forum on new materials to be held in the city of Valencia.

What is nanotechnology?

Nanotechnology is a field of applied sciences, dedicated to the study, development, control and manipulation of materials at a smaller scale than a micrometre, i.e. at the level of atoms and molecules. Nano - is a Greek prefix denoting action, so that nanotechnology is characterized as an essentially multidisciplinary field, and cohesive exclusively by the scale of matter with which it works. Nanotechnology has become one of the scientific disciplines of higher growth in recent years because of its enormous potential in the creation of new materials.