WO2021064422A1 - Article d'emballage - Google Patents

Article d'emballage Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2021064422A1
WO2021064422A1 PCT/GB2020/052436 GB2020052436W WO2021064422A1 WO 2021064422 A1 WO2021064422 A1 WO 2021064422A1 GB 2020052436 W GB2020052436 W GB 2020052436W WO 2021064422 A1 WO2021064422 A1 WO 2021064422A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
food
container
feed
ground
beverage
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2020/052436
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Mischa Dohler
Gemma GUILERA FERRÉ
Daniel Jozef HARDEJ
Original Assignee
Moving Beans Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Moving Beans Limited filed Critical Moving Beans Limited
Publication of WO2021064422A1 publication Critical patent/WO2021064422A1/fr

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
    • B65D85/70—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for materials not otherwise provided for
    • B65D85/804—Disposable containers or packages with contents which are mixed, infused or dissolved in situ, i.e. without having been previously removed from the package
    • B65D85/8043—Packages adapted to allow liquid to pass through the contents
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C45/00—Injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C45/17—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
    • B29C45/26—Moulds
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C45/00—Injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C45/17—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
    • B29C45/72—Heating or cooling
    • B29C45/73—Heating or cooling of the mould
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
    • B65D85/70—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for materials not otherwise provided for
    • B65D85/804—Disposable containers or packages with contents which are mixed, infused or dissolved in situ, i.e. without having been previously removed from the package
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
    • B65D85/70—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for materials not otherwise provided for
    • B65D85/804—Disposable containers or packages with contents which are mixed, infused or dissolved in situ, i.e. without having been previously removed from the package
    • B65D85/8043—Packages adapted to allow liquid to pass through the contents
    • B65D85/8046—Pods, i.e. closed containers made only of filter paper or similar material
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29B—PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
    • B29B9/00—Making granules
    • B29B9/12—Making granules characterised by structure or composition
    • B29B2009/125—Micropellets, microgranules, microparticles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29K—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR MOULDS, REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
    • B29K2001/00—Use of cellulose, modified cellulose or cellulose derivatives, e.g. viscose, as moulding material
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29K—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR MOULDS, REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
    • B29K2003/00—Use of starch or derivatives as moulding material
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29K—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR MOULDS, REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
    • B29K2023/00—Use of polyalkenes or derivatives thereof as moulding material
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02W—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT
    • Y02W90/00—Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation
    • Y02W90/10—Bio-packaging, e.g. packing containers made from renewable resources or bio-plastics

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method, apparatus, and material for producing a home compostable, injection moulded food or beverage container, such as a single use coffee capsule, from ground bamboo powder and ground rice husk, and a home compostable, injection moulded food or food or beverage capsule composed of ground bamboo powder and ground rice husk.
  • Nespresso launched by Nestle in 1976, is one of the leading brands of coffee capsules. Over 27 billion Nespresso capsules have been sold since 2000 and the popularity of these capsules has been consistently increasing since their release. Unfortunately, these single -use coffee capsules generate an excessive amount of waste due to being consumed at increasingly high volumes globally.
  • a number of recycling schemes are available to recycle the single -use coffee capsules, however these recycling schemes are limited and are not available in all geographies. Furthermore, consumers have a tendency to throw the capsules out with general waste and as a result a significant proportion of the capsules are sent to landfill. Conventional capsules are typically made from a combination of materials, such as plastic and aluminium, and are contaminated by food waste (i.e. used coffee grounds), making it difficult to recycle the capsules.
  • the present invention seeks to address all of the above problems associated with conventional single use coffee capsules. To the best of the applicant’ s knowledge, no other invention exists that can be used to produce a single -use coffee capsule that meets all of the above criteria.
  • a home compostable, injection moulded, homogenous, pierceable food or beverage container composed of a mixture of: ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder having a maximum grain dimension of no more than 500 pm; at least one binding material; and at least one biodegradable elastomer, in which the container forms a hermetic seal around food or beverage products stored therein.
  • a method for producing a home compostable, injection moulded, homogenous, pierceable food or beverage container comprising: obtaining a feed material comprising a mixture of ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder in which the maximum dimension of grains of the mixture of ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder is no more than 500 pm; obtaining an injection moulding apparatus comprising a feed cylinder, a nozzle and a mould for a food or beverage container, in which the feed cylinder is in communication with the nozzle, and the nozzle is in communication with the mould; mixing the feed material with at least one binding material and at least one biodegradable elastomer to produce a feed mixture; introducing the feed material or feed mixture into the feed cylinder; heating the feed cylinder and nozzle to a temperature of at least 120 °C; and feeding the feed material or feed mixture from the feed cylinder, via the nozzle to the mould at a predetermined temperature and under an applied pressure to produce a home compostable
  • an injection moulding apparatus for producing a home compostable, injection moulded, homogenous, pierceable food or beverage container composed of a mixture of: ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder, in which the container forms a hermetic seal around food or beverage products stored therein, the apparatus comprising: a first feed cylinder comprising: a feed material comprising a mixture of ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder in which the maximum dimension of grains of the mixture of ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder is no more than 500 pm; a second feed cylinder comprising at least one binding material and at least one biodegradable elastomer, in which each of the primary feed cylinder and secondary feed cylinder are in communication with the feed cylinder; a nozzle providing an inlet, an outlet, and an injection passageway extends between the inlet and the outlet; a pressurized fluid passageway extending between the first and second feed cylinders and the inlet of the nozzle; a pressure source configured to subject the feed
  • home compostable is used herein to refer to material which achieves at least 90% biodegradation, preferably 100% biodegradation, within a 12 month period at ambient temperatures (25 °C ⁇ 5 °C) in accordance with home compostability standards: EN 13432, AS5810, NF T 51800, prEN 17427.
  • a product must be assessed using the following test and meet the following defined parameters: a. Biodegradability test: the biodegradability of the material is assessed at temperatures between 20 °C and 30 °C for a maximum time period of 12 months; b.
  • Disintegration test the disintegration properties of a material is assessed at temperatures between 20 °C and 30 °C for a maximum time period of 6 months. The disintegration properties are assessed by passing the material through a 2 mm gauge sieve after the 6 month period; c.
  • Ecotoxicity test residues from the biodegradation test are assessed to determine if any residue is considered to be harmful to the environment; d.
  • Chemical analysis test the composted material will be tested to determine if the material gives rise to any adverse effect on the following properties of the compost: bulk density; pH; salinity (electrical conductivity); volatile solids; total nitrogen properties; total phosphorus properties; total magnesium properties; total ammonium nitrogen properties; levels of heavy metals; and quality of the compost.
  • the material In order to achieve certification as being “home compostable”, from authorities such as TUV Austria, the material must: a. achieve a level of degradation which is equivalent to at least 90% of the material’ s total mass over the 12 month period; b. achieve a level of disintegration of above 90% (i.e. no more than 10% of the material is retained by/does not pass through a 2 mm gauge sieve); c. be shown to not be harmful to the environment; and d. produce composted material which does not have adverse effects on bulk density, pH, salinity, volatile solid content, heavy metal content, total nitrogen content, total phosphorus content, total magnesium content, total potassium content and total ammonium content characteristics of the composted material and the quality of the composted material.
  • the food or beverage container of the present invention is environmentally friendly as the container consists entirely of materials which are home compostable and do not produce any harmful greenhouse gases or harmful by-products during degradation.
  • the food or beverage container of the present invention may therefore be safely disposed of in the garden/at home and will degrade quickly. It has been found that over 90% of the food or beverage container of the present invention will degrade within a 12 month period. In contrast, all conventional coffee capsules are only industrially compostable and take 100 years (or more) to decompose in the garden.
  • the feed material for production of the container of the present invention is preferably composed predominantly of plant based, home compostable material.
  • the feed material consists essentially of natural (preferably plant based), home compostable material.
  • the feed material is non-toxic.
  • the plant based material is ground to provide the feed material without requiring any additional artificial processing, extraction or modification steps.
  • the feed material therefore comprises non-chemically processed and non-extracted, ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder.
  • the food or beverage container can be manufactured with little expenditure and in a short time.
  • the food or beverage container is not composed of any hydrocarbon or petroleum based materials.
  • the food or beverage container is substantially free of hydrocarbon or petroleum based materials.
  • the food or beverage container does not comprise any adhesive.
  • the item of packaging (or at least a portion of an item of packaging) is substantially free of adhesive.
  • the container is used in the preparation of hot drinks.
  • the container is a capsule, for example a coffee capsule, used for example in the preparation of hot drinks, such as for example servings (and in particular individual servings) of coffee or tea used in connection with a coffee machine, or a portion thereof.
  • the capsule may comprise a capsule body comprising first end providing an opening, an opposed rear end, and side portions extending therebetween.
  • the capsule may further comprise a lid configured to extend across and substantially seal the opening provided by the first end of the capsule.
  • the lid may be in the form of a substantially flat sheet configured to extend between opposing sides of the opening, and preferably seal the capsule body.
  • the side portions and the rear end of the capsule body form a domed or conical shape.
  • the capsule body and the lid preferably together define a cavity extending therebetween.
  • the cavity is preferably configured to store a substance such as for example a food or beverage material (such as for example coffee or tea) therein.
  • the home compostable, injection moulded food or beverage capsule as herein described is preferably a coffee capsule.
  • the home compostable, injection moulded food or beverage capsule is preferably a single-use food or beverage capsule, preferably a single -use coffee capsule.
  • Single-use capsules such as coffee capsules
  • a beverage machine which pierces the capsule and subsequently pumps water through the capsule at elevated temperatures of up to 100 °C (typically within the range of 85 to 100 °C).
  • the water is pumped through the capsule under pressure of up to 20 bar for optimal extraction.
  • single use beverage capsules must be able be pierceable, whilst also capable of withstanding elevated pressure (without warping, deforming or disintegration within high pressure environments) and capable of withstanding elevated temperatures (without melting or disintegration).
  • Single use beverage capsules must also be water resistant (i.e. must not dissolve in or absorb water).
  • the food or beverage container of the present invention has been found to display good structural integrity, particularly when subjected to high temperatures and/or pressures, and good resistance to water saturation when exposed to water at high temperature and/or pressure.
  • the food or beverage container of the present invention has been found to have sufficient strength, temperature resistance, pressure resistance and water resistance to be suitable for use within conventional beverage machines.
  • the food or beverage container of the present invention has been found to have good temperature resistance and can withstand elevated temperatures of up to 120 °C. Furthermore, the food or beverage container of the present invention has been found to have good pressure resistance and can withstand elevated pressures of up to 120 bar ensuring optimal extraction of the food or beverage product within the container can be achieved.
  • the food or beverage container of the present invention is also non water permeable, non-water soluble and non-water absorbent and as such there is no risk that the container may dissolve or fail and cause blockages and potential damage to a coffee machine. Conventional coffee machines use piercing forks to pierce through single -use coffee capsules in order to allow water to flow through and extract coffee from the coffee powder stored within the capsule.
  • the food or beverage container of the present invention is plastically deformable and pierceable to ensure that the container is capable of being pierced under pressure without splitting or shattering.
  • the food or beverage container of the present invention has also been found to have suitable plasticity and elasticity for use with known coffee or espresso machines.
  • a single-use coffee capsule it is also advantageous for a single-use coffee capsule to have a low thickness wall(s) to ensure that the capable can be easily pierced by the piercing forks of the machine.
  • the present invention has however achieved the aim of providing thin walled, home compostable, injection moulded plant-based food or beverage capsules.
  • the food or beverage capsule of the present invention has an inner surface defining a cavity for receiving one or more food or beverage products, and an opposed outer surface.
  • the thickness of the food or beverage capsule is no more than 1 mm, preferably no more than 0.5 mm, preferably no more than 0.25 mm, for example 0.15 mm.
  • the thickness of the wall of the capsule may vary along the length (as measured between the end adjacent the lid and the opposed base end) of the capsule.
  • the capsule comprises one or more piercing wall portions having a reduced thickness to the other portions of the wall of the capsule. The thinner piercing wall portions may be provided in order to ensure effective piercing of the capsule in use. The piercing wall portions may be located at or adjacent the base end of the capsule.
  • the food or beverage capsule of the present invention has a thin wall to enable the capsule to be effectively pierced (easily and all the way through the wall) in use by a piercing fork of a food or beverage machine, whilst also being formed of plant based, home compostable material with sufficient structural integrity to not crack or shatter while in use.
  • a further advantage is that the thin walled capsules of the present invention have a lower associated carbon footprint, requires less material, and produce a reduced volume of waste compared to conventional thicker walled capsules.
  • the food or beverage container of the present invention has been found to display equal or reduced oxygen permeability compared to conventional industrially compostable food or beverage capsules (OTR ⁇ 60 cm3/(m3.day.atm)).
  • the food or beverage container of the present invention may substantially seal the one or more food or beverage products within the cavity of the container from the external environment.
  • the food or beverage container can provide a hermetic seal oxygen barrier.
  • the food or beverage container of the present invention may therefore be used to store substances within a cavity thereof with a reduced risk of the substance deteriorating or degrading due to exposure to oxygen.
  • the food or beverage container for example a coffee capsule
  • the substance such as for example a food or beverage powder
  • the present invention therefore provides a food or beverage container (in one embodiment a coffee capsule) which prevents the contents from spoiling or perishing and has an improved shelf life and therefore does not require additional unnecessary packaging compared to many conventional capsules or other biodegradable or compostable coffee capsules.
  • the feed mixture and the container comprises:
  • biodegradable elastomer 5-10% by volume of biodegradable elastomer
  • feed material comprising ground bamboo powder and ground rice husk (optionally together with groundcoffee husk).
  • the feed material may further comprise ground coffee husk.
  • the maximum dimension of the grains of the ground coffee husk is preferably no more than 500 pm.
  • composition of the feed material preferably comprises :
  • the feed material comprises up to 80% by volume of ground bamboo and up to 20% by volume of ground rice husk (optionally together with ground coffee husk). In one embodiment, the feed material comprises up to 10% by volume of ground coffee husk. In one embodiment, the feed material comprises at least 50% by volume of ground bamboo.
  • the feed mixture comprises at least one binding material.
  • the at least one binding material may be a bio-plastic or plant based resin.
  • the at least one binding material is preferably selected from, but are not limited to, one or more of: polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyallcanoates (PHA/PHB), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHBV), cellulose acetate, sucrose, corn starch, plant resin, polybutylene succinate (PBS), polycaprolactone (PCL), thermoplastic starch-based plastics (TPS), hemp, pine resin, lignines, tannines, or any combination thereof.
  • the binding material is PLA and starch (preferably corn starch).
  • the at least one binding material comprises: PLA optionally together with PHA and PHB.
  • the at last one binding material is preferably polylactic acid (PLA).
  • the at least one binding material is polylactic acid (PLA) and one or more of: PHA binder and/or PHB binder.
  • the presence of at least one binding material within the feed mixture has also been found to further improve the structural integrity and mechanical strength of the resultant food or beverage container.
  • the presence of the at least one binding material helps production of thin walled containers.
  • the presence of at least one binding material within the feed mixture has been found to further reduce the oxygen permeability of the container, enabling the formation of a hermetic seal for any contents of the container.
  • the feed mixture comprises at least one biodegradable elastomer.
  • the biodegradable elastomer is preferably selected from one or more of: polyisoprene (preferably derived from Indian rubber or Amazonian rubber), PBS (bio-based polybutylene succinate), corn starch, polydimethylsiloxane, or any combination thereof.
  • the biodegradable elastomer is polyisoprene (preferably derived from Indian rubber or Amazonian rubber).
  • the biodegradable elastomer is PBS (bio-based polybutylene succinate).
  • the presence of the biodegradable elastomer has been found to improve moldability of the mixture which is advantageous for forming thin walled containers.
  • the presence of the biodegradable elastomer has also been found to aid the production of thin walled containers with reduced brittleness, thereby reducing the risk of failure during production.
  • the container further comprises one or more edible coating which helps to further reduce the 02 permeability of the container.
  • the method and apparatus may further comprise optionally containing a coating material source configured to provide a coating to the container of packaging (or at least a portion of a container).
  • the coating may be applied to one or more surfaces of the container.
  • the container may have an inner surface (defining for example a cavity), and an opposed outer surface.
  • the inner surface may be coated with the coating.
  • the outer surface of the container may be coated with the coating.
  • the coating can be applied on the inner surface or the outer surface of the finished container.
  • the coating is preferably composed of a natural material. Examples of coating materials include, but are not limited to, one or more of: starch, lignin, cellulose, chitosan, shellac, rosin, polyhydroxyalkanoates, furanone, alginate, bee wax, and vegetable oils, or any combination thereof.
  • the coating is preferably applied in order to reduce the oxygen permeability of the item of packaging
  • the food or beverage container further comprises one or more of: water, dye, paint, natural toner, or any combination thereof.
  • the food or beverage container comprises one or more of: dye and/or paint are water-based food safe dye and/or paint.
  • the feed material or feed mixture may further comprise one or more of: water, steam, dye, paint, natural toner, or any combination thereof.
  • the feed material or feed mixture comprises one or more of: dye and/or paint are water- based food safe dye and/or paint.
  • the container comprises no more than 5 % by volume, preferably no more than 2% by volume, more preferably no more than 1% by volume of total content of dye, paint and natural toner compared to the total volume of the container. In one embodiment, the container comprises no more than 15 % by volume, preferably no more than 10% by volume, more preferably no more than 6% by volume of total content of water compared to the total volume of the item of the container.
  • the ratio of content (by volume %) of feed material (i.e. ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder) to binding material within the container is at least 1:1, preferably at least 1.5: 1, more preferably at least 1.75:1, for example at least 2:1.
  • the ratio of feed material (i.e. ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder) to binding material within the container is preferably no more than 10:1, preferably no more than 7:1, more preferably no more than 5:1, for example no more than 3:1.
  • the ratio of feed material (i.e. ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder) to binding material within the container may be from 1:1 to 10:1, preferably from 1.5:1 to 7:1, more preferably from 1.75:1 to 5:1, for example from 2:1 to 3:1.
  • the at least one binding material is preferably present in an amount of at least 20% by volume, more preferably 30% by volume of the ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder feed material.
  • the at least one binding material is present in an amount of no more than 60% by volume, more preferably 50% by volume of the ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder feed material.
  • the at least one binding material may be present in an amount of from 20% to 60% by volume, preferably from 20% to 50% by volume of the ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder feed material.
  • the biodegradable elastomer(s) is preferably present within the feed mixture in an amount of no more than 10% by volume, preferably no more than 8% by volume, preferably no more than 7% by volume.
  • the biodegradable elastomer(s) is preferably present within the feed mixture in an amount of between 1% and 10% by volume, preferably between 2% and 8% by volume, for example between 1% and 7% by volume, preferably between 1 and 5% by volume.
  • the food or beverage container of the present invention is non-toxic. It is to be noted that not all bioplastics, raw materials and biodegradable materials are non-toxic. It is however an important consideration for a food or beverage container to be formed only from non-toxic materials. None of the constituent materials of the container are toxic and all of the materials fulfil ecotoxicity standards and heavy metal trace standards according to EN 13432.
  • the food or beverage container is composed of non-toxic, home compostable materials.
  • the mixture of ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder may be sourced from rice husk and bamboo.
  • the rice husk and bamboo may be chopped or shaved and sieved to provide chippings or shavings of rice husk and bamboo.
  • the chippings or shavings are preferably subsequently milled and sieved to provide ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder.
  • the mixture of ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder has a maximum grain dimension of no more than 500 pm to ensure that the bulk material ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder within the feed material or feed mixture is capable of flowing like a fluid.
  • the ground bamboo powder and the ground rice husk may be filtered by passing the ground bamboo powder and ground risk husk through a sieve or filter or screen comprising pores having predetermined dimensions to ensure that the filtered ground rice husk and/or ground bamboo powder obtained has a maximum dimension of no more than 500 pm.
  • the ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder may have a maximum dimension of no more than 300 pm.
  • the ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder may have a minimum dimension of at least 30 pm, preferably at least 50 pm, more preferably at least 75 pm.
  • a maximum dimension of the grains of ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder of 500 pm, preferably 300 pm, is essential for use with injection moulding apparatus in order to ensure a suitable predetermined flow rate of the feed material or feed mixture through the nozzle without the risk of the formation of blockages.
  • the ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder (and optionally ground coffee powder) is dried, for example dehydrated, prior to introduction of the at least one binding material and the at least one biodegradable elastomer.
  • the feed cylinder and/or nozzle preferably the feed cylinder and the nozzle, are heated to an operating temperature of at least 120 °C, preferably at least 160 °C, more preferably at least 180 °C. In one embodiment, the feed cylinder and/or nozzle, preferably the feed cylinder and the nozzle, are heated to an operating temperature of no more than 220 °C, preferably no more than 200 °C.
  • the feed cylinder and/or nozzle preferably the feed cylinder and the nozzle, are heated to an operating temperature in the range of from 120 °C and to 220 °C, preferably in the range of from 160 °C and to 200 °C, more preferably in the range of from 180 °C and to 200 °C. It has been found that by heating one or more of the feed cylinder and nozzle to a temperature as defined herein that the feed material or feed mixture flows through the injection moulding at a satisfactory rate.
  • the food or beverage container mould may be heated to a predetermined temperature.
  • the food or beverage container mould may be heated to a temperature which is less than the operating temperature of the feed cylinder and nozzle.
  • the item of packaging mould may be heated to a temperature of at least 50 °C, preferably at least 80 °C.
  • the item of packaging mould may be heated to a temperature of no more than 200 °C, preferably no more than 160 °C.
  • the food or beverage container mould may be heated to a temperature within the range of from 50 °C and to 200 °C, preferably from 80 °C and to 160 °C.
  • the temperature of the food or beverage container mould may be controlled so as to be homogenous across the entire mould to avoid the production of physical and mechanical defects within the resultant item of packaging formed therein.
  • the feed material or feed mixture is preferably fed through the injection nozzle and into the item of packaging mould at a predetermined flow rate.
  • the predetermined flow rate will depend on a number of factors including the size and geometry of the mould. Flow rate is measured using either volumetric flow rate (in cubic meters per second) or mass flow rate (in kg/s).
  • Optimal flow temperature for injection moulding of the container was found to be dependent on the composition of the feed material and the amounts or ratios of the ingredients.
  • Figures la-c are schematic illustrations of views of a coffee capsule formed from ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder according to one embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIGS. 2a-c are schematic illustrations of views of a coffee capsule formed from ground rice husk, ground bamboo powder and ground coffee powder according to a further embodiment of the present invention
  • FIGS 3a and 3b are schematic illustrations of views of the coffee capsule of Figures 2a-c after use in a machine (pierced coffee capsules);
  • Figure 4 is a illustration of the cross-sectional dimensions of the capsules of Figures la-c , Figures 2a- c and Figures 3a-b.
  • the food or beverage capsule 1, 100 comprises an open end 2, 102 configured to be sealed by a lid (not shown) and an opposed base end 4, 104.
  • the capsule comprises a wall 6, 106 having an inner surface 8, 108 and an opposed outer surface 10, 110 defining a thickness extending therebetween.
  • the inner surface 8, 108 defines an internal cavity for receiving and storing a food or beverage product.
  • the food or beverage product is substantially sealed from the external environment by a lid (not shown).
  • the capsule 1, 100 is substantially conical in shape and symmetrical about an axis extending between the open end and base end 2, 102, 4, 104.
  • the wall 6, 106 generally has a thickness of 0.5 mm.
  • the wall 6, 106 provides a piercing portion 12, 112 having reduced thickness of 0.3 mm compared to the rest of the wall 6, 106.
  • the piercing portion 12, 112 extends circumferentially about the axis extending between the open end 2, 102 and the base end 4, 104.
  • the piercing portion 12, 112 is located adjacent the base end 4, 104 of the capsule 1, 101 and configured to receive piercing forks of a conventional coffee machine, such as for example a Nespresso® machine.
  • the capsule is formed from a feed material comprising ground rice husks and ground bamboo powder.
  • the material forming the capsule has sufficient temperature, pressure and water resistance, as well as sufficient plasticity ensuring the capsule is suitable for use in high temperature and pressure coffee machines.
  • Example 1 Method for Producing a Coffee Capsule from bamboo, Rice Husk, and a Biodegradable Binder
  • bamboo is introduced into an automatic feed planer to create bamboo shavings.
  • the bamboo shavings are milled to obtain a fine bamboo powder.
  • the bamboo powder is then passed through a filter with 300 - 500 pm pores to provide a powder having a maximum dimension of 500 pm.
  • Rice husks are also milled to obtain ground rice husks.
  • the ground rice husks are then passed through a filter with 300 pm pores to provide a powder having a maximum dimension of 500 pm.
  • the ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder is then dehydrated in a drying oven to remove moisture content.
  • Binding material (and distilled water if suitable, for example if using a water soluble binding material) is then mixed with the dehydrated ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder to provide a powder feed. Excess water is exported until the desired flow properties (i.e. the ability for the material to flow easily enough to be used for injection moulding) are achieved.
  • the binder material is sucrose and present in an amount of 30% by volume compared to the total volume of the powder feed.
  • the ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder feed is placed within a feed cylinder of an injection moulding apparatus.
  • the ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder feed is heated to a temperature of between 180 °C and 200 °C and subjected to an applied pressure.
  • the feed cylinder and the nozzle are heated to a temperature of between 180 °C and 200 °C.
  • a flow test should be conducted in order to determine the flowability of the steamed ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder. It has been found that the ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder feed has good flowability characteristics at a temperature of between 160 °C and 220 °C.
  • the plasticization temperature of the binder material within the powder feed may be determined by thermogravimetric or differential thermal analysis in order to determine the optimal thermal flow temperature of the powder feed. Optimal flow temperature of the powder feed will be dependent on the composition of the powder feed.
  • the plasticization point of the sucrose binder is typically around 176 °C, with a mass reduction onset at 200 °C due to decomposition to volatile products. It was found that the feed mixture comprising ground rice husk, ground bamboo and sucrose flowed readily at temperatures above 180 °C, although flow was restricted at temperatures above 220 °C due to the effect of gases evolving from the sucrose. It was found that the minimum amount of binding material required to be present to achieve predetermined flow characteristics of the feed was at least 20% by volume compared to the total volume of the feed mixture.
  • the powder feed flows from the feed cylinder, through an injection nozzle and into the capsule mould having a predetermined shape of the desired food or beverage capsule.
  • the capsule mould is heated to a lower temperature than the feed cylinder and the injection nozzle.
  • the capsule mould is heated to a temperature of between 80 °C and 160 °C. It is to be noted that the temperature of the capsule mould will depend on the specific geometry, exact size and wall thickness of the food or beverage capsule.
  • the capsule mould temperature and homogeneity may also be a factor in determining the surface finish of the capsule. For example, a food or beverage capsule having a gloss outer surface may be produced by maintaining the capsule mould at a temperature of from 140 °C and 160 °C.
  • the binding material may comprise one or more of: polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyallcanoates (PHA/PHB), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHBV), cellulose acetate, sucrose, corn starch, plant resin, polybutylene succinate (PBS), polycaprolactone (PCL), thermoplastic starch-based plastics (TPS), hemp, pine resin, lignines, tannines, or any combination thereof.
  • PLA polylactic acid
  • PHA/PHB polyhydroxyallcanoates
  • PHBV polyhydroxybutyrate
  • cellulose acetate sucrose
  • corn starch plant resin
  • PBS polybutylene succinate
  • PCL polycaprolactone
  • TPS thermoplastic starch-based plastics
  • hemp pine resin
  • lignines lignines
  • tannines or any combination thereof.
  • the four point bending strength and Rockwell superficial hardness of the food or beverage capsule of the present invention described in Example 1 was found to increase with both mould temperature and injection temperature up to approximately 200 °C.
  • Example 3 Coffee Capsule Lid
  • the mould provides a cavity with the predetermined shapes and dimensions of a lid for extending across (and substantially and hermetically sealing) the opening provided at a first end of the food or beverage capsule body formed in Example 1, which is also shown in figures IB, 1C, 2B, and 2C.
  • the coffee capsule lid consists of a thin (less than 0.10 mm) disc of the same diameter of the open end of the coffee capsule and can be produced using the same material used in Example 1 by injection moulding, thermoforming, blow moulding, or film extrusion.
  • the feed material or feed mixture used within Example 1 to form the capsule body of the food or beverage capsule may differ to the feed material or feed mixture used following the method of Example 1 to produce the lid of the food or beverage capsule.
  • the feed material or feed mixture used within Example 1 to form the capsule body of the food or beverage capsule may be the same as the feed material or feed mixture used following the methods of Example 1 to produce the lid of the food or beverage capsule.
  • Example 4 Composition of a Coffee Capsule
  • An example of the composition of the bamboo food or beverage capsule of the present invention is as follows:
  • the container may not contain paint and/or toner.
  • the container may contain a single binding material, or more than two binding materials.
  • the container may not be a coffee capsule.
  • the container may include higher or lower proportions of ground rice husk and ground bamboo powder and/or binder material.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
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  • Packages (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un récipient d'aliment ou de boisson domestique, compostable, moulé par injection, homogène et pouvant être percé , tel qu'une capsule de café à usage unique, composé d'un mélange de poudre de bambou broyé et de balle de riz broyée ayant une dimension de grain maximale ne dépassant pas 500 µm ; au moins un matériau de liaison ; et au moins un élastomère biodégradable, le récipient formant un joint hermétique autour de produits alimentaires ou de boissons stockés en son sein et le récipient pouvant supporter une température de 120 degrés Celsius et une pression allant jusqu'à 20 bars.
PCT/GB2020/052436 2019-10-04 2020-10-02 Article d'emballage WO2021064422A1 (fr)

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GB1914332.0A GB2588097A (en) 2019-10-04 2019-10-04 Packaging item

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WO2023016951A1 (fr) 2021-08-11 2023-02-16 Société des Produits Nestlé S.A. Matériau de fabrication d'emballages comprenant une résine de polyhydroxyalcanoate mélangée à une teneur très élevée en cellulose

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EP3045406B1 (fr) * 2015-01-14 2021-05-26 Ruffa, Gabriele Procédé et appareil pour la construction de récipients de précurseurs de produits alimentaires liquides et récipients correspondants
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WO2003059756A2 (fr) * 2002-01-11 2003-07-24 New Ice Limited Recipients biodegradables ou compostables
WO2015082982A1 (fr) * 2013-12-03 2015-06-11 Biserkon Holdings Ltd. Capsule et dispositif pour la préparation de boissons et procédé de production d'une capsule
EP3530153A1 (fr) * 2018-02-23 2019-08-28 BARDAZZI, Bruno Charge pré-emballée de matériau en poudre comestible et système de préparation de boissons à l'aide de ladite charge

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NL2027976B1 (en) * 2021-04-15 2022-10-28 Threehundredsixty Degrees B V Capsule, assembly, and method for the preparation of single-serve beverages
WO2023016951A1 (fr) 2021-08-11 2023-02-16 Société des Produits Nestlé S.A. Matériau de fabrication d'emballages comprenant une résine de polyhydroxyalcanoate mélangée à une teneur très élevée en cellulose

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GB2588097A (en) 2021-04-21

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