Poly-paper: a sustainable material for packaging, based on recycled paper and recyclable with paper.
BACKGROUND
Until now, environmental sustainability issues are almost entirely unsolved for packaging materials. With the final aim of finding materials with a single recycling channel, cellulose fiber/poly(vinyl)alcohol composites were investigated.


METHODS
After extrusion and injection molding, samples of composite with different cellulose fiber content (30%, 50% and 70% w/w) were tested.


RESULTS
Tensile mechanical tests exhibited an improvement in composite stiffness when the reinforcement content was increased together with a decrease in composite elongation. Solubility tests performed at room temperature and 45°C showed different behavior depending on the water-resistant film applied on the composite (50% cellulose fiber content). In particular, the uncoated composite showed complete solubility after 2 hours, whereas at the same time point, no solubility occurred when a non-water-soluble varnish was used.


CONCLUSIONS
The proposed composites, named Poly-paper, appear to warrant further investigation as highly sustainable packaging.
Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Milan - Italy.|UdR Consorzio INSTM, Florence - Italy.
Barbara
B
Del Curto
Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Milan - Italy.
Nadia
N
Barelli
Ghelfi Ondulati spa, Buglio in Monte, Sondrio - Italy.
Mauro
M
Profaizer
Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Milan - Italy.|UdR Consorzio INSTM, Florence - Italy.
Silvia
S
Farè
UdR Consorzio INSTM, Florence - Italy.
Maria Cristina
MC
Tanzi
Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Milan - Italy.|UdR Consorzio INSTM, Florence - Italy.
Alberto
A
Cigada
Department DICAR, University of Catania, Catania - Italy.
Giulia
G
Ognibene
CNR-IPCB, Catania - Italy.
Giuseppe
G
Recca
UdR Consorzio INSTM, Florence - Italy.|Department DICAR, University of Catania, Catania - Italy.
Gianluca
G
Cicala
D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry*; D010209:Paper; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol / Q000737:chemistry*; D019064:Product Packaging
D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol; D002482:Cellulose