U.S. patent application number 14/464281 was filed with the patent office on 2016-02-25 for biodegradable packaging for shipping.
The applicant listed for this patent is Frontier Paper & Packaging, Incorporated. Invention is credited to James Branham.
Application Number | 20160052692 14/464281 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55347660 |
Filed Date | 2016-02-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160052692 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Branham; James |
February 25, 2016 |
BIODEGRADABLE PACKAGING FOR SHIPPING
Abstract
A biodegradable, thermally insulated mailer and cooler, and
method of making them, are disclosed. The thermally insulated
packaging material are made from laminated starch foam and
bio-plastic film. The lamination can be performed by heat bonding,
without the use of an adhesive bonding agent, to produce
biodegradable packaging materials that can pass ASTM and other
certifications for home compostability and marine environment
safety.
Inventors: |
Branham; James; (Brownsburg,
IN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Frontier Paper & Packaging, Incorporated |
Indianapolis |
IN |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
55347660 |
Appl. No.: |
14/464281 |
Filed: |
August 20, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/592.01 ;
156/308.2; 156/60; 229/68.1; 428/319.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02W 90/10 20150501;
Y02W 90/14 20150501; B65D 2565/385 20130101; Y02W 90/11 20150501;
B65D 27/00 20130101; Y02W 90/13 20150501; B65D 65/466 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 81/18 20060101
B65D081/18; B65D 27/00 20060101 B65D027/00 |
Claims
1. A biodegradable mailer, made from a composite consisting
essentially of: a corn starch foam paper; a bio-plastic film that
is heat-bonded to the corn starch foam paper; compostable ink;
wherein the compostable ink is used to present information about
biodegradability of the mailer.
2. The biodegradable mailer of claim 1, wherein the petroleum based
bio-plastic film is Danimer 12291.
3. The biodegradable mailer of claim 1, wherein the corn starch
foam paper is made from Green Cell Foam.TM. by compressing it into
a thin, flexible sheet.
4. The biodegradable mailer of claim 3, wherein the petroleum based
bio-plastic film is Danimer 12291.
5. The biodegradable mailer of claim 1, wherein the film is
heat-bonded to the corn starch paper at a temperature between about
248.degree. F. and about 255.degree. F., at a speed between about
22 ft/s and about 40 ft/s.
6. The biodegradable mailer of claim 5, wherein the temperature is
between about 253.degree. F. and about 258.degree. F., and the
speed is about 31 ft/s and about 36 ft/s.
7. A composite paper comprising: a compressed, flexible corn starch
foam sheet; a bio-plastic film that is heat bonded to the corn
starch paper, wherein no adhesive is used to bond the corn starch
film and the bio-plastic film.
8. A method of making a biodegradable composite paper comprising:
providing a compressed, flexible corn starch foam sheet; providing
a bio-plastic film; adhering the corn starch foam sheet and the
bio-plastic film by running them through a laminator, without an
adhesive.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein a fine water mist is applied in
place of an adhesive to assist in achieving a consistent lamination
between the foam and the film.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the foam is Green Cell
Foam.TM..
11. The method of claim 8, wherein the film is Danimer 12291.
12. A biodegradable cooler, comprising: corn starch foam panels; a
bio-plastic film that is heat-bonded to the corn starch foam
panels; wherein the bio-plastic film encloses the corn starch foam
panels, and wherein no adhesive is used to bond the bio-plastic
film.
13. The biodegradable cooler of claim 12, wherein the corn starch
film is Green Cell Foam.TM..
14. The biodegradable cooler of claim 12, wherein the bio-plastic
film is Danimer 12291.
15. The biodegradable cooler of claim 12, wherein the bioplastic
film flexibly connects at least two of the corn starch panels to
one another to form a hinge.
16. The biodegradable cooler of claim 15, wherein the bioplastic
film flexibly connects exactly three of the corn starch panels,
whereby the cooler can be assembled for use by inserting two
3-panel pieces into a standard box to form two interlocking "C"
forms.
17. The biodegradable cooler of claim 13, wherein the corn start
foam panels are formed by laminating multiple layers of Green Cell
Foam.TM. to one another to form at least 2'' thick sheets.
18. A method of making biodegradable packaging comprising heat
bonding corn starch foam and bio-plastic film without an adhesive
bonding agent.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein at least some of the corn
starch foam has been made into corn starch paper.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the heat bonding is performed
by a lamination at a temperature between about 253.degree. F. and
about 258.degree. F. and a speed of about 31 ft/s and about 36
ft/s.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally relates to biodegradable
packaging for shipping, and, more specifically, to biodegradable
shipping envelopes, coolers, and the like for shipping
temperature-sensitive materials.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The shipping and mailing industry offers a wide range of
products and services today in order to provide efficient and
effective transportation of a wide range of cargoes via both
private carriers and the federal postal system. These products
include a large variety of packaging designed to protect valuable
cargoes, from impact, crushing, spoilage, and so forth.
[0003] Cargoes that are thermally sensitive have been a substantial
and growing portion of the cargoes being shipped. Such cargoes
include, for example, food products, such as sea foods, and a
variety of medical products, including insulin or insulin
replacements. The ability to package such cargoes so that the
shipper can be assured that the products will remain adequately
refrigerated for 48 to 72 hours greatly improves the economy with
which such products can be shipped, because it obviates the need
for overnight shipping, and allows handling of such packages
according to more standard shipping practices. This greatly reduces
the overall cost of the shipping, as long as the cost of the
packaging remains relatively modest. Thus, this sector of the
shipping industry has been a rapidly expanding sector.
[0004] Unfortunately, existing products that have facilitated the
shipping of temperature-sensitive cargoes tend to be especially
problematic for the environment. For example, expanded polystyrene
(e.g. Styrofoam.RTM.) packaging, a common insulating material, is
problematic in terms of both its production and disposal (it
includes benzene; furthermore, it outgases, which can be dangerous
in and of itself, and causes it to loose R-value). It requires
nearly 700 gallons of oil to produce one ton of expanded
polystyrene, it generally cannot be economically recycled, it is
generally lethal to any creature that ingests a significant
quantity, and, in the absence of expensive procedures (which, as a
practical matter, are never employed) it does not decompose in any
reasonable time period.
[0005] Biodegradable alternatives to expanded polystyrene have been
developed, but they remain generally unacceptable alternatives. For
example, PLA (polylactic acid) is for at least some applications a
suitable drop-in replacement for polystyrene. However, it will
biodegrade only in commercial facilities, and it suffers from
manufacturing inconsistencies, especially in the manufacturing of
thicker sheets, which render it unacceptable for many packaging
applications. For another example, foam made from corn starch
exists, but it is generally unacceptable as shipping material, both
because contact with moisture causes the material to degrade, and
because the material in its dry form "sands," i.e., it abrades,
damaging the structural integrity of the material and producing
small particulate waste. In addition to the resulting structural
degradation, the resulting waste is problematic, both aesthetically
and from a practical perspective. There is, therefore, a
substantial need in the industry for acceptable materials for
shipping thermally sensitive cargoes which do not pose
environmental problems. The present invention is directed to
meeting this need.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a first embodiment shipping envelope,
shown before assembly.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a first embodiment shipping envelope,
shown after assembly and before sealing.
[0008] FIG. 3A is a diagram of a composite made by laminating
multiple sheets of biodegradable foam, suitable for making a second
embodiment biodegradable cooler.
[0009] FIG. 3B shows a joint in a composite sheet suitable for
forming the corner of a second embodiment biodegradable cooler or
box-liner.
[0010] FIG. 4A is a plan view of a top for a second embodiment
biodegradable cooler or box-liner.
[0011] FIG. 4B is a side view of a top for a second embodiment
biodegradable cooler or box-liner.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment
biodegradable cooler with the top removed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the
principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the
embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will
be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood
that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby
intended, and alterations and modifications in the illustrated
devices and methods, and further applications of the principles of
the invention as illustrated therein are herein contemplated as
would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the
invention relates.
[0014] The United States has adopted standards defining test
standards for labeling a product "biodegradable and compostable,"
ASTM D6400. This standard establishes a standard of industrial
compostability, but this standard only establishes compostability
at temperatures higher than are typically achieved in private
composting. Consequently, products that satisfy this standard may
not properly break down if consumers put them in their home compost
heaps. Products that will break down in the typical conditions of a
private compost heap are therefore desirable. Nonetheless, the U.S.
has not adopted standards for labeling a product "home
compostable." Europe has adopted some such standards, but they vary
by region. Although bio-degradability and compostability are
currently established by separate standards in Europe, for the
purpose of this document the term "bio-degradable" will be used to
refer generally to the class of environmentally friendly standards,
without distinction.
[0015] In view of present public attention to the subject, it is
expected that the United States will adopt the standard employed by
the European Union, known as EN 13432, or a comparable standard,
for bio-degradability. That standard requires that 90% of the
product, by mass, is converted to CO2 within 6 months, and that
after 3 months of composting and subsequent sifting through a 2 mm
sieve no more than 10% residue, by mass, remains. Composite
packaging materials satisfy this standard only if every component
from which they are made satisfies these criteria. Thus, for
example, a composite packaging material made from a substrate that
is 99% converted to CO2 and a surfacing agent that is only 85%
converted to CO2 cannot be rendered "biodegradable" merely by
changing the proportions of the mass of the substrate and surfacing
agent. Composite packaging materials according to the disclosed
embodiments have been found to meet the EN 13432 standard, and are
therefore acceptable for labeling as "biodegradable" and
"compostable" for shipping to Europe.
[0016] Although newer and better biodegradable and compostable
materials are being developed all the time, existing biodegradable
materials still lack physical characteristics of the packaging
materials that we are seeking to replace. For example, bio-plastic
films that might otherwise replace conventional plastics are weak,
tend to tear, and to propagate tears once formed. This tends to
render them unsuitable for many commercial shipping
applications.
[0017] Similarly, corn starch foam is biodegradable and
compostable, and can provide suitable insulation for general
purpose thermal-sensitive shipping packaging. It will be
appreciated by those skilled in the art, however, that corn starch
foams are not generally acceptable insulators for shipping
applications. In their dry form, and unlike expanded polystyrene
and other such petroleum-based products, corn starch foams tend to
"sand." That is, when the material rubs against itself or its
environment, it tends to abrade, producing sand-like particles, and
eroding the material. Furthermore, contact with any moisture, such
as the condensation that develops when a cooled package is exposed
to high humidity, causes the material to degrade. This can
completely destroy the thermally insulating properties.
[0018] It has been discovered, however, that corn starch foams can
be rendered suitable for shipping applications by protecting it
within a film that protects the material from moisture and from
friction with the surrounding environment. Potential organic films
include cellulose-based films, starch, PLA (polylactic acid) films,
and PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) films. PCL, or polycapralactones,
PVA, or polyvinylalcohol, and EVOH, or ethylene vinyl alcohol, are
petroleum-based but biodegradable films, that would also be
potential candidates. A suitable film must be sufficiently strong
to resist tearing or breaking, and ideally, will not propagate
tears once started. More importantly, in order for the resulting
packaging to retain its biodegradable properties, the protective
film must, of course, itself be biodegradable.
[0019] Bioplastic films provide a suitable film for enclosing corn
starch foam to provide biodegradable and home-compostable packaging
for shipping. For example, a favorable result can be provided by
the use of potato-based bioplastic film. For one example, a
particularly suitable potato-based bioplastic is LTBio, produced by
and available from CeeT UK, 31 Mount Street, Manchester, M27 5NG,
United Kingdom. Other suitable films are commercially available
from Danimer Scientific, 1301 Colquitt Highway, P.O. Box 7965,
Bainbridge, Ga. 39818 (www.danimer.com), and Biome Technologies,
North Road, Marchwood Industrial Park, Marchwood, Southampton, UK
SO40 4BL (www.biometechnologiesplc.com). Packaging that combines
corn starch foams and organic bioplastic films have been found to
sufficiently degrade within 90 to 180 days, when in contact with
the microorganisms commonly found in the ground, and especially in
compost environments. However, such composite materials are
sufficiently resistant to water and other environmental factors to
maintain their integrity for at least 7 days. As such, these
composites provide for the construction of commercially acceptable
packaging for shipping, yet conform to the highest standards of
biodegradability presently in force (including "aerobic
biodegradability in a marine environment," ASTM D6691).
[0020] While enclosing the corn starch foam in such a potato-based
film can provide functional packaging, it will be appreciated that
the film needs to be adhered to the underlying foam substrate. This
process is generally performed by a wet laminator. A film and
substrate are fed into the laminating machine with a heat-activated
bonding agent that adheres the two. Of course, in order for the
resulting packaging to retain its biodegradable properties, the
adhesive bonding agent used to bond the film to the substrate must
itself be biodegradable. This poses a critical problem, as there
is, at present, no known bonding agent that is home compostable,
and so there is no known way to laminate layers in a way that
satisfies ASTM 6400 (for example). It has been discovered, however,
that this problem can be overcome by heat bonding a specific starch
film to a specific film, without any bonding agent. Surprisingly,
the combination of the specific film and substrate react to the
heat to produce a heat bond directly, with no need for the bonding
agent that is usually required.
[0021] The desired corn starch foam is an extruded, high amylose
content foam, at least about 90% corn starch, by weight. The high
amylose content provides for greater strength and flexibility. A
suitable non-GMO corn starch foam is Green Cell Foam.TM., provided
by KTM Industries, 3327 Ranger Rd., Lansing, Mich. 48906
(www.ktmindustries.com). Green Cell Foam.TM. is typically sold in
corrugated, extruded planks.
[0022] The desired film is a bio-based biodegradable bio-plastic.
Although higher carbon-neutral content is desirable,
petroleum-based bio-plastics are acceptable, as long as they have
the other desired features. The ideal film is Danimer 12291, a
bio-polymer resin film that is that sold by Danimer Scientific,
1301 Colquitt Highway, P.O. Box 7965, Bainbridge, Ga. 39818
(www.danimer.com). Danimer 12291 is a compostable (tested according
to ASTM D6400-04, EN 14332 (2000), and ISO 17088 (2008) standards),
sold for such applications as trash bags, agricultural mulch film,
greenhouse films, compost bags, hay bale wraps, etc. Danimer's film
is unique, at the moment, in that it is certified as safely
"biodegradable in marine environments." (The certification is by
Experimental Station Scientific Paper, Carboard and Pulp, or SSCCP,
of Milan. It has not yet been certified under the ASTM standard, in
part because the standard was adopted after SSCCP certification was
initiated; it is believed that it also satisfies the ASTM standard,
and will receive that certification in due course. Note that its
renewable bio-content is about 30%--the remainder is made up of a
biodegradable petroleum based material.)
[0023] The corn starch foam is compressed into a thin, flexible
sheet--referred to as "paper"--by rolling it through rollers. (The
rollers are arranged like an old laundry wringer, or "mangle.")
Multiple sheets can be laminated together to create paper with a
greater thickness, cushioning, insulation, etc., if desired. The
corn starch paper is then die-cut, including desired perforations
(such as for a tear-strip for opening the mailer). The film and
paper are then c-folded, with the film on either side of the paper,
and run through the lamination machine without an adhesive bonding
agent, to produce the composite paper. Application of a fine water
mist may assist in achieving a consistent bonding between paper and
film, but is not believed to operate as an adhesive. The composite
paper is then folded up to form the mailer. A paper tongue is
inserted into the interior to prevent face-to-face heat sealing
from closing the interior, and the mailer is re-run through the
laminator.
[0024] The bonding of the film to the paper is sensitive to
temperature and to the speed with which the sheets are fed through
the laminator. Obviously, it is desirable, for commercial reasons,
to feed the sheets at the highest practicable speed. However,
higher temperatures are required to more rapidly bond the film to
the paper. On the other hand, at a certain point, higher
temperatures become counter-productive. It has been discovered
through experimentation that the best bond is achieved with a
laminator feed rate of 22 feet/s, and a bonding temperature of
253.degree. F. A suitable bond can be achieved with a feed rate of
31 feet/s and a bonding temperature of 253.degree. F. An acceptable
but inferior bond can be achieved with a feed rate of 36 feet/s and
a bonding temperature of 258.degree. F. A less desirable bond still
can be achieved with a feed rate of 36 feet/s and a bonding
temperature of 248.degree. F. Generally, the resulting bond will
not be suitable unless the bonding temperature is above about
225.degree. F.
[0025] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrates a first embodiment biodegradable
shipping envelope, indicated generally at 100, shown before and
after assembly into an envelope, respectively. Side tabs 110 hold
the side edges 122 of the front 120 to the side edges 132 of the
back 130 to form a pouch. A top tab 140 can be folded over to seal
the envelope 100 (by any suitable adhesive means, such as a strip
of double-sided tape along the top edge). The top tab
advantageously includes a pull-strip 150, comprising two parallel
rows of perforations 151 and a small pull-tab 152, which allows for
easy opening of the sealed envelope 100.
[0026] In order to produce envelopes suitable for commercial
applications, the film can advantageously be flexographically
printed, using water soluble, bio-degradable and/or compostable
inks, prior to bonding to the paper. Such printing advantageously
includes a commercial graphic design incorporating information on
the biodegradability and/or compostability standards satisfied by
the product, in addition to the vendor's trademark information.
[0027] It will be appreciated that a biodegradable composite film
can be use to make a variety of other shipping containers, as would
occur to those of skill in the art. For example, in another aspect,
the composite paper can be cut in the same fashion as corrugated
cardboard into the pattern for cardboard boxes, in order to make
convenient, biodegradable boxes that can be shipped, stacked, and
otherwise used in the same fashion as a standard cardboard
container. In this way, for example, convenient wine shippers can
be made, including 1-, 3-, and 5-bottle wine shippers. In still
another aspect, the composite paper can be used to make bait
containers, such as are typically used by fishermen during
recreational fishing. In this context, biodegradability, especially
in a marine environments, is a key advantage over existing bait
containers.
[0028] FIG. 5 illustrates a first embodiment biodegradable shipping
cooler 200, suitable for more voluminous or more
temperature-sensitive cargoes. The cooler 200 comprises four sides
210, a top 220, (shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B) and a bottom 230, (not
visible) each of which is formed from corn starch foam panels.
Typically, corn starch foams are extruded into 1/2 inch corrugated
sheets, and it will often be desirable for the panels to be thicker
than this, in order to provide the desired insulation properties.
When this is the case, the corn starch panels are formed by
laminating two or more sheets together (using a starch-based
adhesive), to produce a composite material, illustrated in FIG. 3A,
and indicated generally at 300. The illustrated composite 300
comprises three corn starch foam sheets 310 laminated together, and
a fourth, "paper" sheet 320, made by rolling a corn starch foam
sheet and heat bonding a film, as described above, laminated to one
side. The film side of the paper sheet 320 will form the outside of
the finished cooler 200.
[0029] The composite 300 is placed, film side-up, on a mitering
table, and the foam sheets are mitered to allow the composite to be
"rolled up" into the four sides of the cooler. By cutting away the
foam, while leaving the paper intact, the paper forms a "hinge"--a
flexible connection between the foam panels, which served both to
seal a corner of the assembled cooler, and to hold the panels
together to assist in the assembly of the cooler. It will be
appreciated that the precise pattern cut by the miter saw is not
critical, but a simple, workable pattern is to cut the foam sheets
into four equal panels, each having a simple 45 degree miter on
either side. This will produce a cubical cooler 200, but, again,
this can be varied as desired.
[0030] The top 220 and bottom 230 are typically made from the same
composite 300 as the sides 210. While in theory, they could be
attached to the same paper substrate as the sides 210, in practice
the corn starch foam is commercially available in a limited width
(constrained by the dimensions of the extruding machinery), and
this imposes an overall limit on the size of the paper--typically
18 inches in maximum width. Consequently, the top 220 and bottom
230 must either be attached to the sides 210 by a separate paper
sheet (meaning an additional laminating pass that bonds the paper
holding the side panels 210 together with a paper holding the top
220 and bottom 230), or they must remain a separate piece. The
latter option is suitable, for example, if the cooler is intended
to be used as a box-liner, i.e., if the cooler is intended to add
thermal insulation for a standard cardboard box.) The top 220 and
bottom 230 are advantageously mitered to fit snugly against the
edges of the sides 210. Preferably, though, these miter cuts are
90.degree. cuts (to create an edge lip that prevents the top 220
and bottom 230 from falling into the interior), so that matching
miter cuts are not required along the top and bottom edges of side
panels 210.
[0031] It will be appreciated that the biodegradable foam-film
composite can be used to make biodegradable coolers in other ways,
as would occur to those of skill in the art. For example, a pair of
3-panel composite pieces can be used to add thermal insulation to a
standard cardboard. The 3-planel composites are inserted to form 2
interlocking "C" forms to provide thermal insulation for each of
the box's six sides.
[0032] While the invention has been illustrated and described in
detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be
considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it
being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown
and described and that all changes and modifications that come
within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.
* * * * *