Developing High Performance Coatings for Metal Packaging

Typically, consumer product packaging is protected with an organic coating on the internal side, which has two key purposes:

• To protect against contamination of the product by the metal 
• To prevent the product from degrading the metal packaging

Additionally, the external surface is often printed for decorative purposes.

Epoxy based coatings are the most commonly used protective technology used for metal packaging. They are used due to their outstanding chemical resistance to a wide range of food products and chemicals and possess excellent adhesion to all kinds of substrates.

This project will seek to formulate a new set of thin film coatings with improved barrier properties, therefore lowering manufacturing costs and increasing productivity.

“CPI’s National Formulation Centre is excited to be involved in this collaboration that will seek to use novel new materials and processes to develop alternative coating options for the metal packaging industry,” said Dr Graeme Cruickshank, Director of CPI’s National Formulation Centre.

Director of External Affairs at Crown Technology, Dr Cormac Neeson said, ​“This is a good example of how Crown are leveraging external organisations and expertise like the CPI to explore and develop new technologies and chemistries.”

“We look forward to working with key players in the fields of packaging and coatings to develop innovative, industrially relevant ways of using our two-dimensional materials,” said Harry Swan, Managing Director of Thomas Swan & Co Ltd.

Development Manager at AkzoNobel Packaging Coatings, David James said: ​“AkzoNobel are very pleased to contribute to this project, working with our largest Global customer, Crown, alongside other leading innovative companies in investigating the potential opportunities to further enhance our future generation BPA free products for food and beverage coatings”.