WO2007120722A2

WO2007120722A2 - Biaxially oriented polylactic acid based containers and methods of making the same

Info

Publication number: WO2007120722A2
Application number: PCT/US2007/008964
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Parrotta; Robert L. Flowers
Original assignee: Meadwestvaco Corporation
Priority date: 2006-04-10
Filing date: 2007-04-10
Publication date: 2007-10-25
Also published as: WO2007120722A3; CA2649511A1

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of forming a container from biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid (PLA) sheet material (100). In the disclosed method, a container blank made of biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material is dimensioned, cut and scored to form a container blank with a plurality of flaps, a plurality of panels, and a plurality of fold lines. Then an adhesive is applied to a first portion of the container blank and the container blank is folded so that the first portion of said container blank is secured to a second portion of the container blank by the adhesive to form a container with at least one open end (Fig. 4).

Description

BIAXIALLY ORIENTED POLYLACTIC ACID BASED CONTAINERS AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The subject invention is directed to containers and packaging, and more particularly, to methods for forming container blanks and packaging from biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid (PLA), a biodegradable polymer sheet material.

2. Background of the Related Art

Today plastics are used heavily by the packaging industry. Plastic packaging offers protection against moisture, dirt, safeguards hygiene, and provides an attractive product. There are many different types of petroleum-based plastics used for packaging today, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), glycolised polyester (PETG), amorphous polyethylene terephthalate (APET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), etc. However, the environmental impact of plastic waste is a growing global concern, and alternative disposal methods are limited. Also, because petroleum resources are finite and are becoming limited, the cost of petroleum-based plastic sheet material is on the rise.

The continuously growing concern over the environmental impact caused by petroleum-based plastics has stimulated research interest in biodegradable polymers as alternatives to conventional nondegradable polymers, such as polyethylene and polystyrene etc. Cargill Dow LLC has developed a new plastic material called Polylactic Acid (PLA) which is derived from plant sugars and is produced by its wholly-owned

subsidiary, Nature Works, LLC.

To date, PLA has been used to manufacture extruded plastic containers, cups and bottles, but it has not been used as a substrate for boxes or containers made from a folded blank, due to the brittleness of the material and an inability to create fold lines in the sheet/film material using conventional techniques.

Still further, there is also a desire in the packing industry to increase the speed of production so as to provide lower unit costs and higher profit levels. However, the use of such higher machine speeds often excludes the use of normal water based adhesives and requires adhesives which are fast setting, easy to apply, and clean to use.

Therefore, there is a need for container blanks and packaging made from a biodegradable alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics, such as PLA, and also a need for adhesives which can be used with PLA sheet material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a method of forming a container from biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid sheet material. In the inventive method a container blank made of biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material is provided, wherein the biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material is dimensioned, cut and scored to form a container blank with a plurality of flaps, a plurality of panels, and a plurality of fold lines. An adhesive is applied to a first portion of said container blank and the container blank is folded so that the first portion of said container blank is secured to a second portion of said container blank by said adhesive to form a container with at least one open end, wherein the first and second portions are integrally associated portions of the container blank. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the container blank is scored using an RF soft creasing procedure as described hereinbelow.

Moreover, it is preferable that the biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material has been annealed at a temperature of between about 110 degrees Celsius and 130 degrees Celsius. In certain embodiments it is envisioned that the biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material has been stretched in the machine direction to a ratio of between about 1.5 and about 5 and in the cross direction between about 1.5 and about 5.

Preferrably, the adhesive is a hot melt adhesive. Still further, it is preferred that the adhesive is a hot melt adhesive selected from the group consisting of: a reactive PUR; an EVA-based hot melt adhesive; and a Kraton-based, pressure sensitive, hot melt.

Alternatively, the adhesive is a cold melt adhesive. Still further, the adhesive can be a cold melt adhesive selected from the group consisting of: a solvent based adhesive; a UV curable acrylic; and a moisture cured polyurethane. In certain embodiments, the solvent based adhesive is a 1 ,4 dioxane solvent based adhesive.

The present invention is also directed to a container blank comprising a biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid paper substrate wherein said substrate has been formed by calendaring or extrusion and is dimensioned, cut and scored to form a container blank with a plurality of flaps, a plurality of panels, and a plurality of fold lines.

The present invention is also directed to a container blank comprising: a synthetic paper substrate formed from single D- or L-isomers of lactic acid or mixtures thereof, wherein said substrate has been calendered and is dimensioned, cut and scored to form a container blank having a plurality of flaps, a plurality of panels, and a plurality of fold

lines.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that those having ordinary skill in the art to which the disclosed invention appertains will more readily understand how to make and use the same, reference may be had to the drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a container blank made from PLA plastic sheet material having a plurality of score lines formed by RF soft-creasing;

Fig. 2 is perspective view of the front of a partially assembled container/carton made from the container blank of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the rear of a partially assembled container/carton made from the container blank of Fig. 1, wherein an end flap of the blank is adhered to the rear panel of the container; and

Fig. 4 is perspective view of the front of a fully assembled container/carton made from the container blank of Fig. 1.

These and other features of the container blank of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art from the following summary of invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference is now made to the accompanying figures for the purpose of describing, in detail, preferred and exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The figures and accompanying detailed description are provided to describe and illustrate exemplary manners in which the disclosed subject matter may be made and used, and are not intended to limit the scope thereof.

Referring now to Figs. 1-4 which illustrate an exemplary container blank 100 according to the present invention. Blank 100 has been formed from a single sheet of biaxially-oriented PLA material and has four main panels 10, 12, 14, 16. A glue flap 18 is shown secured to a panel 16. Also illustrated are fold lines 40 that separate the main panels 10, 12, 14, 16 from each other and the remainder of the blank 100. Main panels 12 and 16 also include secondary fold lines 42 .

Flaps 20, 22, 24, 26 are shown secured to one end of the main panels 10, 12, 14, 16 respectively and flap 34 is shown secured to main panel 14 (opposite of flap 24). It is to be understood that many other shapes and configurations for a container blank are possible. For example, a container could have more of less main panels, as well as, more or less flaps than illustrated.

The container blank 100 of Figs. 1-4 is provided as a general illustration of a container blank. It is to further be understood that a container blank could also be designed to mate with a blister container or a packaging shell. Still further, a container blank could also be designed to wrap around another box, container, package, or product. In addition, the container blank could have one of more apertures. For example, the container could also have a folding flap to secure a blister package containing disposable razors or pills. Furthermore, any apertures could be covered with transparent materials.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate container blank 100 folded into a container having an open end positioned near its top. Fig. 4 illustrates a fully assembled container made using blank 100.

The present disclosure is directed to a method of forming a container from biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid (PLA) sheet material. In the disclosed method, a container blank made of biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material is dimensioned, cut and scored to form a container blank with a plurality of flaps, a plurality of panels, and a plurality of fold lines. Then an adhesive is applied to a first portion of the container blank and the container blank is folded so that the first portion of said container blank is secured to a second portion of the container blank by the adhesive to form a container with at least one open end.

In certain preferred embodiments, the adhesive is a hot melt adhesive. More specifically the adhesive is a hot melt adhesive selected from the group which includes: a reactive PUR; an EVA-based hot melt adhesive; a moisture cured polyurethane; and a Kraton-based, pressure sensitive, hot melt. Alternatively, the adhesive can be a cold melt adhesive selected from the group which includes: a solvent-based adhesive; a UV curable acrylic; and a moisture cured polyurethane. The solvent-based adhesive can be based on a 1 ,4 dioxane solvent or a tetrahydrofuran (THF) based adhesive which solvates the PLA surface to enhance bonding. Presently, testing has shown that the best adhesive for permanently bonding PLA is National Starch 70-007 A, which is a Kraton based hot melt. National Starch 70-007A has been used on polyester cartons, but in such applications it only created semi-permanent bonds and its adhesion to PLA is much stronger than would have been anticipated by those skilled in the art. Moreover, although National Starch 70-007A works reasonable well with polyester material, it does not bond to polyolefin surfaces.

Preferably, the PLA container blank is scored using an RF soft creasing procedure, which is described in detail hereinbelow. In the RF soft creasing procedure a forming tool and a substantially flat surface are provided and the biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material is placed between the forming tool and the flat surface. The temperature of the forming tool is maintained at a point between the softening temperature and the melting temperature of the biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material. Then a high frequency electric field is created between the forming tool and the flat surface to heat the biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material therebetween while pressing the forming tool into the material to a depth of at least 25% of the thickness of the material and forming bulges in the material adjacent to opposite sides of the tool. Next the biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material is allowed to cool while maintaining the material in a substantially flat condition. After the cooling process is complete, a folded container is formed from the sheet.

It is presently preferred that the biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material has been annealed at a temperature of between about 110 degrees Celsius and 130 degrees Celsius. Additionally, in certain preferred embodiments the biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material has been stretched in the machine direction to a ratio of between about 1.5 and about 5 and in the cross direction to a ratio between about 1.5 and about 5.

The present disclosure is also directed to a container blank that includes a biaxial Iy oriented Polylactic Acid paper substrate wherein said substrate has been formed by calendaring or extrusion and is dimensioned, cut and scored to form a container blank with a plurality of flaps, a plurality of panels, and a plurality of fold lines.

Manufacturing methods typically used for polymer film substrates, such as PLA, are melt blowing, melt casting, and uniaxially or biaxially stretching (orienting) the polymers. Blown and cast films have low levels of molecular orientation in the polymer and, therefore, are relatively weak in tension and are very extensible but with excellent tear and impact resistance. The inventors of the present application have learned through experimentation that ordinary cast extruded PLA sheet material does not have the physical- and thermal stability needed for use as a carton blank.

Biaxially orienting PLA or "stretching" imparts unique characteristics to material and the resulting film is significantly decreased in thickness. As a result of the stretching, the molecular orientation is increased significantly, and the physical properties are enhanced dramatically. The tensile strength and stiffness are increased dramatically in both directions, while the elongation, tear resistance, and gas and moisture permeability are reduced.

Typical material and application properties for biaxially-oriented PLA (3.5x in Machine Direction and 5x in Travel Direction) are provided in Table I.

TABLE I

Biaxially orienting the PLA material creates a substrate that has the final properties necessary for use in carton manufacture. Preferably, the PLA sheet has been stretched to a ratio of 1.5 to 5 in the machine direction and to a ratio of 1.5 to 5 in the cross direction or travel direction and annealed during the biaxially stretching process. The annealing should be preformed in the range of 110 degrees Celsius and 130 degrees Celsius. Biaxially orienting the PLA material at the above-identified ratios and annealing temperatures allows the film to be printed, cut and creased (using RF softcreasing, microperforation or other mechanical techniques) without severe distortion or degradation of the material. Biaxially orienting the material results in increased dimensional stability which leads to better directional strengths. Moreover, by biaxially orienting the PLA substrate, a .010" sheet of

PLA has the same stiffness as PVC or APET two caliper points heavier, (i.e., .010" PLA substitutes for .012" PVC or APET).

Several techniques are known for creating fold lines in plastic sheet, such as knife- scoring, RF soft creasing and micro-perforation. One method for producing fold lines in a thermoplastic sheet is described in German patent No. 2,236,617. According to this method, a knife edge is resistance heated to a temperature above the melting temperature of the plastic and the edge is pressed into the plastic sheet. Contrary to the explanation given in the patent, it has been found that a spring back resilience in the folded edges cannot be avoided to the degree desired. This is apparently due to the fact that the highest temperature is found along the contact surface between the knife edge and the plastic. From there, the temperature decreases towards the inside of the plastic material.

Another technique for creasing polymer substrates is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,741,570 to Seufert, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. The Seufert patent discloses a mechanical creasing procedure that creates fold lines in the material using groove-like depressions of alternating depth.

Soft-creasing of plastic substrates for packaging applications is desirable because it results in a package corner or hinge that can be folded multiple times without breaking, and does not whiten as a result of repeated bending, as would hard-creased polyvinyl chloride (PVC). A soft-crease can be defined by the score bend ratio, which is a measure of the bending stiffness that can be quantified as the force required to bend a scored substrate to a 90° angle at the score, divided by the force required to bend the same unscored substrate to 90°. A soft-crease typically has a score bend ratio of about 0.2 to about 0.4.

U.S. Patent No. 4,348,449 to Seufert, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a technique for soft creasing thermoplastic sheet which will not cause any inconvenient spring back resilience in the folded boxes during their unfolding. The disclosed technique utilizes a fold line or edge forming tool which is kept at a temperature below the melting temperature of the thermoplastic sheet. A high frequency electric field is established between the edge forming tool and an anvil or counter tool as the edge forming tool is pressed into the thermoplastic sheet to a depth of preferably at least 25% of the material thickness. The thermoplastic sheet is then allowed to cool before it is bent or folded.

As noted above, the biaxially oriented PLA material is preferably creased using RF soft creasing. It should be noted that through experimentation it was determined that standard cast extruded PLA film does not crease well using RF soft creasing techniques.

In the present method, the temperature of the edge forming tool used in the RF soft creasing process is be kept below the melting temperature of the biaxially oriented PLA sheet. The melting temperature of the biodegradable plastic sheet can be taken from the tables and/or processing instructions of the plastic manufacturer. As the ^X449 patent notes, it also possible to perform the process of the present invention with a cold edge forming tool, i.e. the surface of the tool being kept at room temperature. For best results, the temperature of the edge forming tool is kept above the softening temperature of the thermoplastic sheet. A temperature between the softening and melting temperatures of the plastic is most advantageous since this promotes the oscillation of the plastic molecules necessary for the development of heat. It is important that the temperature gradient not start from the surface of the edge forming tool but rather that the highest temperature be produced inside the material. This is accomplished by the use of a high frequency electric field which, in combination with the depth of impression of the edge forming tool results in a characteristic fold line cross-section which will be described in detail hereinafter.

By using a high frequency electric field for heating, the outer surface of the PLA plastic sheet preserves its consistency. In addition, only a narrow strip of the inner part of the plastic material is melted and when the surfaces are pressed together by the edge forming tool the melted plastic moves slightly sideways forming a bulge which gives the fold line its characteristic cross section and characteristic bending behavior.

The fold lines produced using RF soft-creasing make it possible to make box blanks out of biaxially oriented PLA polymer sheets which can be set up in the same manner as cardboard boxes. The box blanks do not exhibit any spring back resilience and therefore they can be processed on standard cardboard and packing machines thus making it possible to process cardboard and thermoplastic boxes alternately. This advantage is significant since it does not require large expenditures for the manufacture or purchase of new equipment.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the frequency of the electric field is 27.5 MHz according to the regulations of the German Federal Postal Service. The use of RF induced dies at 27.5 Mhz in contact with the PLA film actively vibrates the polar -OH and -COOH groups which make up the PLA. It is, however, possible to increase the frequency up to 80 or 90 MHz. With certain materials, the higher the frequency, the faster the process. At the given frequency of 27.5 MHz, the high-frequency impression requires approximately one second and the subsequent cooling requires approximately another second. Thus, the fold lines are produced in approximately two seconds.

The method of the present invention is not limited to the preparation of folded box blanks but may also be used in the production of various other folded wrapping materials, the production of boxes with folded bottoms or tops and other similar articles. In addition, the particular plastic material is not critical as long as the necessary physical properties such as resistance to impact and a melting temperature within a practical range are met.

As indicated previously, the edge forming tool should not be permitted to be heated to the same temperature as the melting temperature of the plastic. In order to keep the desired temperature, it is particularly advantageous to cool the edge forming tool to observe the desired production condition. This, it should be pointed out, is directly contrary to the present state of the art.

Although, it is known to soft-crease PVC material, other petroleum-based plastics, such as APET and polypropylene do not crease well using RF creasing techniques. The inventors of the present application have learned that PVC will soft-crease well because it is a relatively polar molecule with a dielectric constant in the range of about 4 to about 8. A higher dielectric constant indicates greater polarity and greater ability to absorb RF energy. RF energy heats the substrate to a softening point in the area of the score or crease, and resolidification of the material results in a durable refoldable hinge or corner thereafter. The dielectric constant for APET is significantly lower (e.g., about 2.5 to about 4.5) than PVC and consequently it is not readily soft-creased by application of RF. PLA however, has a dielectric constant of about 1.0, and contrary to expectation, has been readily creased using RF techniques by the inventors of the present application.

The present invention meets the aforementioned needs, by providing, among other things, a method for making packaging from a biodegradable alternative to petroleum- based plastics.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a container from biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid sheet material comprising the steps of: a) providing a container blank made of biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material wherein said biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material is dimensioned, cut and scored to form a container blank with a plurality of flaps, a plurality of panels, and a plurality of fold lines; b) applying an adhesive to a first portion of said container blank; and c) folding said container blank so that the first portion of said container blank is secured to a second portion of said container blank by said adhesive to form a container with at least one open end, wherein the first and second portions are integrally associated portions of the container blank.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the container blank is scored using an RF soft creasing procedure which includes that steps of: a) providing at least one forming tool and a substantially flat surface; b) placing the biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material between the forming tool and the flat surface; c) maintaining the temperature of the forming tool at a point between the softening temperature and the melting temperature of the biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material; d) creating a high frequency electric field between the forming tool and the flat surface to heat the biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material therebetween while pressing the forming tool into the material to a depth of at least 25% of the thickness of the material and forming bulges in the material adjacent to opposite sides of the tool; e) allowing the biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material to cool while maintaining the same in a substantially flat condition; and f) thereafter forming a folded container from the sheet.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material has been annealed at a temperature of between about 110 degrees Celsius and 130 degrees Celsius.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid material has been stretched in the machine direction to a ratio of between about 1.5 and about 5 and in the cross direction between about 1.5 and about 5.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is a hot melt adhesive.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the adhesive is a hot melt adhesive selected from the group consisting of: a reactive PUR; an EVA-based hot melt adhesive; and a Kraton-based, pressure sensitive, hot melt.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is a cold melt

adhesive.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the adhesive is a cold melt adhesive selected from the group consisting of: a solvent based adhesive; a UV curable acrylic; and a moisture cured polyurethane.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the solvent based adhesive is a 1,4 dioxane solvent based adhesive.

10. A container blank comprising a biaxially oriented Polylactic Acid paper substrate wherein said substrate has been formed by calendaring or extrusion and is dimensioned, cut and scored to form a container blank with a plurality of flaps, a plurality of panels, and a plurality of fold lines.

11. A container blank comprising: a synthetic paper substrate formed from single D- or L-isomers of lactic acid or mixtures thereof, wherein said substrate has been calendered and is dimensioned, cut and scored to form a container blank having a plurality of flaps, a plurality of panels, and a plurality of fold lines.