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PRINTING GRADES

“From plastic and paper-based packaging solutions, reel stock, pre-made bags and pouches, containerboard, speciality and sack kraft paper to uncoated fine paper, the company demonstrated its variety of innovative solutions for customers in many industries,” says Albert Klinkhammer, Marketing and Communication Director, Mondi Europe & International.

Strongest paper in the world makes its way to ChinaAt this year’s fair, Mondi Speciality Kraft Paper showcased a paper grade formulated specifically for roll-packaging spring mattresses. The strength of Advantage MF SpringPack Plus has been demonstrated by lifting a 4.2-tonne container on a single sheet. This impressive test made its way into the Swedish edition of the Guinness World Book of Records in 2001 (13th edition, page 256).

The first reel of the product was shipped from Sweden and arrived on site in China in June. In early September, the business segment announced the launch of a new trading venture with Nantongpack International Trading Company Ltd, opening up new business opportunities and giving access to a brand new market for Advantage MF SpringPack Plus in China.

“In recent months we have identified a lot of potential in Asia for our speciality kraft paper grade Advantage MF SpringPack Plus, which is produced by Mondi Dynäs in Sweden. Our joint research has indicated that forthcoming growth in the spring core mattress market in Asia1 is likely to increase the demand for packaging designed specifically for this purpose – such as SpringPack Plus,” explains Gerhard Pachler, sales director Speciality Kraft Paper.

Advantage SpringPack Plus is an extremely strong, natural brown premium paper especially designed for roll-packing and compressing goods. It can withstand the force exerted

Making the grades

Dubbed one of the premier gatherings for the packaging industry, the FachPack 2016 trade fair took place in Nuremberg, Germany from 27 to 29 September. Under the theme ‘Fresh ideas for your packaging and paper needs’, Mondi featured an array of packaging solutions at its 376m2 booth.

by 10 to 15 compressed and wrapped spring mattress units. “SpringPack Plus provides a variety of benefits. In Asia for instance, non-woven and plastic materials are currently used for spring mattress packaging. Our paper will represent an appealing alternative on this market because it offers the same strength with less material, thus providing both economic and environmental benefits,” comments Pachler.

From mattresses to motor carsMondi’s booth featured an automotive corner to highlight the company’s expertise as a solution provider for the automotive industry. Mondi supplies the automotive related industries not only with a variety of customised packaging and specialised paper, but also with high-tech automotive interior materials made from extrusion coated multilayer complexes. “The focus on sustainability is another attractive aspect for the automotive industry as well as for other customer industries,” adds Klinkhammer. “The use of lightweight packaging made from renewable resources that are easier to recycle or dispose of can mean significant cost efficiencies.”

With the global automotive industry requiring safe, efficient shipment of auto parts ranging from bulky, heavy items to small, sophisticated electronics, Mondi has developed packaging solutions especially for automotive customers. Klinkhammer noted, “These solutions are also lighter and more environmentally sustainable than some traditional forms of packaging.”

1 Global Mattress Market Size, Share, Development, Growth and Demand Forecast to 2022 - Industry Insights by Product (Innerspring, Memory Foam, Latex, Others), P&S Market Research: https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/mattress-market

PRINTING GRADES |

Mondi has auto, coveredFully customised heavy duty corrugated constructions or containers for large, heavy and sensitive parts are made from high strength grades such as 100% virgin ProVantage Kraftliner, a light weight alternative to wooden crates that lowers related shipping and disposal costs.

Mondi Industrial Bags’ Protector Bag is a paper-based packaging concept comprising the Advantage Kraft sack kraft paper. Its paper strength and bag construction makes it ideal for packaging bulky auto parts and offers original equipment manufacturers and second-tier suppliers high protection and potential cost savings for packaging large, bulky or rigid goods. Several layers of paper provide cushioning and high impact resistance.

Mondi’s Automotive Design Centre develops customised corrugated packaging solutions based on 3D virtual product data, giving customers greater flexibility and cost advantages in production planning and a time-based competitive edge.

For liquid automotive products, there are convenient and easy-to-handle spouted bags and pouches in various sizes.

“With excellent barrier properties, these packaging solutions not only protect the product but also the environment – due to less material, lighter weight and overall CO2 reduction compared to rigid alternatives,” explains Markus Artelsmair, sales representative for Mondi Consumer Goods Packaging. Temporary surface protection films produced by Mondi are used to wrap new vehicles, creating the perfect lightweight shield to protect vehicles during transport and storage.

From packaging to printAt a special customer workshop, Mondi’s packaging paper experts provided an insight into its Print Competence

Centre and research and development activities – including a live lab show of actual tests (below).

The aim of this high-tech centre, located at Mondi Štĕtí mill, is to achieve the best possible print result for each packaging application. It enables customers to choose the most suitable paper grades, printing methods and inks for both white and brown paper.

“The work of the Print Competence Centre is especially important in view of the demanding consumer market, where attractive point-of-purchase packaging design and fine print give a competitive edge,” explains Clemens Willée, CEO Mondi Packaging Paper.

LEFT Water-repellent bags attracted interest; ABOVE Mondi’s Consumer Goods Packaging business receives the German Packaging Award at FachPack for its ArtPack packaging for Krosse Kerle potato crisps.

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Paper for industrial bags and brands that stand outAdvantage Kraft White Print and Advantage Semi Extensible White Print – two of the latest sack kraft gradesproduced on the ultra-modern PM7 atthe Mondi Štětí mill – combine the first-rate printability of calendered machine-finished gradeswith the strength properties of standard sack kraft paper.Alongside these two grades, PM7-produced AdvantageSmooth White Gloss was also on show at Fachpack. Theversatility and texture of this speciality kraft paper makeit the first choice for paper-based packaging that bestreflects a brand’s personality and presents an attractiveimage to shoppers.

In terms of special finishings, the new ArtPack solution attracted attention by winning the German Packaging award used for the packaging for potato chips ‘Krosse Kerle’. This packaging combines paper look and feel while still offering high barrier properties for a long shelf life.

Strength and natural appearance go hand in handMondi Containerboard presented its full-range portfolio of virgin and recycled paper grades. Among the highlights was ProVantage KraftTop LinerX. Made of 70% recycled fibre for high performance and strength, this grade also offers a natural appearance and high-quality printability – thanks to its virgin fibre top layer.

The convenience factorWith convenience remaining a strong packaging trend, especially in the consumer goods sector, Mondi has commenced an ‘easy-open initiative’ for solutions that make it simpler for consumers of all ages to open packaging.

Mondi’s easy-open features, which benefit not only business customers but also the end-users of the products, include:

• The CornerPack – with parallel scoring lines in semi-circles in the corner of the pack - allows easy openingand pouring of the pack content

• The BowlPack is a convenient packaging for treats toshare. Once opened, its stability and shape allows itto stand on the table like a bowl.

• The StripePack is clean with easy-tear points alongthe entire length of the packaging, great for multi-finger chocolate bars for example. It is also availablewith reseal feature.

HYBRIDPRO marks its fi rst anniversary These water-repellent bags, designed to protect the products from direct rain, are mostly used for building materials and other moisture-sensitive products. The innovation was developed in collaboration with Knauf Belgium, manufacturers of construction and insulation systems and products. “With the HYBRIDPRO, paper combined with plastic really can provide the best of both worlds: uncompromising weather protection thanks to the bag’s outer PE barrier layer, allowing genuine outdoor storage for lengthy periods and extended storage stability, without the need to invest in expensive FFS filling systems”, explains Claudio Fedalto, Marketing & Sales Director Mondi Industrial Bags.

Strong and naturalMondi exhibited its full range of virgin and recycled containerboard paper grades, including ProVantage KraftTop LinerX. This grade, made of two layers, offers brilliant printability thanks to its virgin fibre top layer. It is the perfect choice for packing goods that require both strength and an eye-catching appearance on the shelf. Mondi’s thermo-formable paper-based solution – perFORMing – has a natural look and feel, serves as a base material for packaging for food, cosmetics, portion packs, trays and other applications.

“The aim of our participation at Fachpack was to highlight three key aspects of Mondi products and services - consistent customer focus, ongoing innovation and a focus on sustainability,” concludes Klinkhammer.

Taking all of the above solutions and grades into account, Mondi’s solutions for more environmentally responsible packaging and paper products are demonstrating the Group’s new ‘Growing responsibly’ model. This model frames its response to global challenges and their local consequences across Mondi’s value chain. Its global partnership with WWF International – further demonstrates that growing responsibly makes good business sense.

RIGHT Arrival of the first Advantage MF SpringPack Plus reel at Nantongpack China

in June 2016 (from left to right: Carsten Breiter, International Key Account Manager

Speciality Kraft Paper, Mondi Europe & International; Denny Zhen, General Manager, Nantongpack International;

Gerhard Pachler, Sales Director Speciality Kraft Paper; Mondi Europe & International

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29 TAPPSA JOURNAL | VOLUME 5 and 6 2016

INNOVATION

Lignocellulosic biomass – plant matter such as cornstalks, straw and woody plants – is a sustainable source for production of bio-based fuels and chemicals. However, the deconstruction of biomass is one of the most complex processes in bioenergy technologies.

Although researchers at the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) had already uncovered information about how woody plants and waste biomass can be converted into biofuel more easily, they have now discovered the chemical details behind that process.

A team led by Jeremy Smith, a University of Tennessee (UT)-ORNL Governor’s Chair and the director of the UT-ORNL Centre for Molecular Biophysics (CMB), uses computer simulations to investigate the chemistry of biomass deconstruction. Smith’s collaborators from the BioEnergy Science Centre, a DOE Bioenergy Research Centre led by ORNL, previously developed a pretreatment method for breaking down biomass that initiates delignification, the removal of the rigid plant molecule lignin. The cosolvent enhanced lignocellulose fractionation pretreatment involves aqueous solutions of tetrahydrofuran (THF), a versatile organic solvent. This cosolvent mixture uniquely interacts with cellulose, the main structural component of plant cell walls, to enable its breakdown. The breakdown of cellulose is essential for its conversion into ethanol, a renewable biofuel made from plants. When scientists understand more details about the process of breaking down cellulose, they will be able to improve the current pretreatment method or find new solvents more efficiently.

In a project led by Barmak Mostofian, a CMB postdoctoral researcher, Jeremy Smith’s team created models of up to 330,000 atoms and ran simulations on ORNL’s flagship supercomputer—the Cray XK7 Titan located at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF), a DOE Office of Science User Facility—earlier this year. They found that the THF-water cosolvent phase separates on the faces of the crystalline cellulose fibre. These faces are distinct regions with which certain enzymes or molecules can interact. During the phase separation, THF preferentially binds to the hydrophobic, or “water-fearing,” faces of cellulose, and water preferentially binds to the hydrophilic, or “water-loving,” faces. THF enhances the binding of water molecules to the bonds that link two sugar molecules, which can potentially increase hydrolysis, the chemical breakdown of cellulose by water.

Unraveling the science behind biomass breakdown

An illustration that demonstrates how THF (orange) and water (blue) phase separate on the surface of cellulose (green), thus facilitating its breakdown.

Credit: Barmak Mostofi an

“We saw this phase separation, and we knew it might mean there was chemistry that was taking place on the surface that we hadn’t observed, that we hadn’t considered before,” Micholas Smith, another CMB postdoctoral researcher, said. The team also found that when they broke the cellulose apart, single chains of cellulose became surrounded primarily by water, while THF—because of its molecular structure—remained bound to the hydrophobic surfaces of cellulose. These results provided researchers with a fine-grained understanding of the chemical properties behind the deconstruction oflignocellulosic biomass.

Researchers say this discovery will help them identify new cosolvents in the future. “This information will help us find the minimum number of things we need to calculate to tell if a solvent is good for lignocellulose,” Micholas Smith said. “Hopefully, we will eventually be able to write a programme that creates a better screening process for solvents and automatically selects the best ones.”

The finding represents a first step toward determining the full pathway the THF-water cosolvent takes to break down cellulose. “Now we are limited to looking at the two end states of the cellulose deconstruction process,” said CMB researcher Xiaolin Cheng. “If we can map out the full pathway, that will be more relevant. In the future, with more computing power, we will be able to simulate the degradation pathway of the lignocellulosic biomass to understand what happens between the two endpoints.”

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory. “Unraveling the science behind biomass breakdown: Researchers uncover chemical reaction that helps break down biomass for biofuel.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 October 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/

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