The ITENE technology center has successfully completed the PULPFICTION project, an initiative funded by the Valencian Institute for Competitiveness and Innovation (IVACE+i) through FEDER funds, with the aim of developing recyclable molded cellulose rigid packaging with advanced functional properties for the food, cosmetics, and electronics sectors.
During the project, ITENE tackled two main lines of work. On one hand, it focused on formulating new molded cellulose pulp recipes using virgin or recycled fibers and functional additives, aimed at improving processability and reducing resource consumption during manufacturing.
The first phase of the project enabled the consolidation of optimized pulp formulations for primary packaging intended for food contact and for secondary packaging aimed at cosmetics and electronics applications. For food packaging, combinations of short and long virgin fibers were selected for their mechanical performance and compliance with regulatory requirements. For secondary applications, the project opted for recycled fibers reinforced with additives such as starch, improving the economic competitiveness of the developed solutions and their structural protection capabilities.
Additionally, a pilot-lab molding and drying system was designed and developed which has enabled the scale-up of representative prototypes of the different studied applications, facilitating the validation of the developed solutions under near-industrial conditions.
New Food Packaging
One of the project’s major advances has been achieved in the field of food packaging, thanks to the surface functionalization of trays through spray coating technologies and lamination of functional films. These solutions have allowedtailoring the material properties to the requirements of each application and product to be packaged, achieving solutions with high hydrophobic resistance (contact angles greater than 110°), a maximum oleophobic barrier (KIT 12), and permeability levels suitable for Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) applications.
Specifically, the developed materials reached oxygen permeability (OTR) values ranging from 5 to 50 cc/m²·day and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) values from 1 to 3 g/m²·day, enabling the performance of packaging to be tailored for different fresh product categories and for IV and V range products. In addition, variants with thermal resistance suitable for baking and microwave heating have been obtained, withstanding temperatures between 140 °C and 190 °C.
According to Rafael Sánchez, project lead at ITENE, “the results demonstrate the potential of molded cellulose to respond to the new sustainability and functionality needs of the packaging market. Thanks to the combination of optimized formulations and advanced functionalization technologies, we have managed to develop recyclable solutions capable of delivering performance comparable to more complex packaging alternatives.”
With the completion of PULPFICTION, ITENE reinforces its commitment to developing sustainable materials and packaging that contribute to the transition toward a circular economy, providing the industry with new cellulose-based solutions capable of combining technical performance, recyclability, and reduced environmental impact.
