The 4th of July Edition - Green is the New Red, White and Blue

When I posted the blog entry, Pouches, Pouches, Everywhere, after attending the Global Pouch Forum in May, I thought I my pouch enthusiasm may have been influenced by 48 hours of non-stop pouch talk.  But, any trip to the grocery store will illustrate how pouches are finding their way into established product categories traditionally dominated by bag in box, cartons, or cans.

The Freedonia Group recently released a study predicting an annual growth rate for pouch packaging concepts of 6.1% through 2012.  They predict environmental impact and rising raw material costs to be key drivers for growth. 

Low voltage electron beams can be an enabling technology for aseptic pouch filling applications.  With no heat, chemicals, or rinse water, electron beam sterilization is a cold, dry alternative to conventional hot fill, retort and chemical-based sterilization technologies.   If you have a pouch application you would like to discuss, please contact us.

Microbial contamination in the food, health, and consumer product industries has become a critical issue for manufacturers, consumers, and regulators.  Aseptic manufacturing approaches aim to ensure everything is sterile at the the time the final package is sealed to the outide world - ensuring that at the time the package is opened, there is no microbial contamination on the product.  This approach relies on reliable and cost effective technologies for sterilizing the incoming product, the incoming packaging material, the incoming ambient air, as well as critical sufaces of machinery.  AEB has active solutions for sterilizing packaging components as we have discussed in past blog entries (Aseptic Drug Manufacturing, EB sterilization for Beverage Industry).  We see signficant opportunity to address the challenges of critical surface sterilization as well.

The challenge arises from the difficult nature of controlling and ensuring sterility on all pieces of equipment that come in contact with the products.  While some surfaces are easily accessible for sterilization, others may be out of reach or difficult to access.  For instance, last year, a Massachusetts listeria outbreak was traced to a key piece of equipment used in the filling process.

The conditions in processing facilities, especially ones carrying out wet processes, are favorable environments for bacteria growth and attachment.  The complexity of processing equipment creates difficult-to-clean nooks and crannies that are perfect spots for bacteria growth that can escape sanitizing treatments.  Once bacteria attaches to surfaces, it is often very difficult to remove it completely using normal cleaning and sanitation procedures.

Currently, high temperature chlorinated water or various chemical sterilants are used to sanitize processing and aseptic packaging equipment.  Although effective, the practice has some significant disadvantages, including: the potential for the formation of toxic or carcinogenic compounds; the energy intensive nature of the process due to heat requirements; the persistence of chlorine in the environment after usage; and the requirement for special containers for transportation and storage of chlorine compounds. 

Electron beam technology has proven to be a safe and effective method for sterilization.  Novel configurations of electron beams can be leveraged to ensure sterility of problem areas of equipment.

 Let us know if you have specific ideas for critical surface sterilization you would like to discuss.

With the range of blog subscribers we have, it can sometimes be challenging to discuss a topic and strike a tone that interests all of our readers.  Some may question who cares about, "Tailoring Surface Properties with Electron Beam Initiated Grafting?"  While we like to think that everyone should be interested in everything about it, we will concede that different people may care about the topic from certain and varying angles.

What is it?

Radiation grating is a materials enhancement technique targeted at bonding a surface material with a bulk material in order to satisfy several objectives for a material's development and usage.  Basically, combining different materials in order to make the outside act differently than the inside, while optimizing the overall performance of the product.

It has been explored for a broad range of applications aimed at chemically modifying the surface of a product by bonding a material with desirable surface characteristics to a second material with desirable bulk properties (e.g. to obtain good mechanical strength or lower overall cost).  This approach enables the development of products which combine materials with virtually any mixture of surface and bulk properties.  

Low voltage electron beams come into play in that they can be utilized to deposit energy directly on to the surface of the material.  This either triggers the direct bonding of the grafted material or activates the surface of the bulk material, allowing it to react with the grafted material and thereby form chemical bonds.

Where can it be used?

There have been a broad range of applications reported in scientific literature and patents, and there is no doubt an even broader range of proprietary application work.  A few examples that have been widely discussed are:

Active packaging technologies.  Functional layers are added to commodity packaging material in order to improve gas barriers, supplement food's antioxidant content, and monitor for contamination.

Enhancing biocompatibility of medical implants.  Preferential surface properties are chosen in order to improve the chances of the human body accepting a foreign object while the mechanical properties of the bulk materials are targeted to optimize the performance of the implant.

Creating advanced biosensors.  Active enzymes, which are immobilized on polymer supports grafted to carefully selected membranes, are incorporated into a sensor array that is used to efficiently detect and measure a wide range of biological agents, such as glucose levels in blood, E. coli levels in food, and anthrax presence in the environment.

Creating advanced membrane technologies.  Gas and liquid filtration membrane techniques are largely based on surface chemistry.  Advanced membrane technology is beginning to be engineered using electron beam grafting, selectively allowing molecules or particles with certain characteristics to pass while simultaneously blocking others.  Applications span a wide range and include water filtration, blood filtration, and ion separation for battery technologies.

Why is it valuable?

The historical challenges related to radiation grafting have not involved which combinations of surface and bulk properties are interesting and valuable, but rather how to economically mass produce products with these characteristics.  Most industrial researchers choose a process technology for both its efficacy to achieve the desired results as well as its ability to economically scale to a commercial application.   Modern low voltage electron beam technology can be simply and flexibly integrated into a broad range of manufacturing lines.  

How can AEB help? 

AEB will collaborate at each stage of the development process - from R&D to Pilot to Production.  AEB offers a broad range of products and services including laboratory solutions, application development services and emitters for production applications.  

Contact us to see how we can help you.

References

*  Clough R.L., High-Energy radiation and polymers: A review of commercial processes and emerging applications, Nuclear instruments and methods in physics research, 2001.

It's a question that we asked ourselves when we first started looking at current air pollution abatement processes.  Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) occur naturally and are a by-product of many conventional manufacturing processes.  Common sources of artificial VOCs include paint thinners, dry cleaning solvents, and petroleum fuels.  VOCs released into the atmosphere participate in photoreactions with air to form ozone and contribute to urban smog and global warming.

As policy leaders continue to become more aware and concerned about the effects of air pollutants on our atmosphere and our health, they are further regulating the amounts of these pollutants allowed to be emitted into air.  While large manufacturers have long been required to control their air pollutants, small and medium sized companies are beginning to see tighter regulation of their emissions.  While on the individual level they may not be considered significant contributors to air pollution, the sheer numbers of these smaller firms combine to be large contributors on the aggregate level.

With tightening emissions standards, many manufacturers are being forced to make a decision between cutting production or adopting technologies to abate their air pollutants.  While we at AEB are big advocates of adopting processes which do not create air pollutants in the first place, we recognize that there are industrial processes that require some level of VOC emission.  So if we can't stop it, we can at least lessen its impact by creating more efficient pollution abatement technologies. 

Traditional pollution control systems burn pollutant-laden air at very high temperatures (greater than 1600°F), breaking down the organic compounds to benign components including water and carbon dioxide.  Large quantities of fossil fuel, typically natural gas, are used to heat the air and as a result large amounts of CO₂ are generated from the burning of the fossil fuel. 

While this technology is extremely effective at abating the VOCs, the amount of CO₂ from the burning of the fossil fuel can exceed the initial pollution by a factor of 10 or more.  For example, if a company spends $1M a year in natural gas to abate 100 tons of toluene (a common solvent), the natural gas results in the emission of more than 3,500 tons of CO₂.  Essentially, by burning natural gas to abate VOCs, the manufacturer trades one pollutant for another.

AEB has developed an alternative air pollution control technology that utilizes our electron beam emitter to destroy VOCs in active waste air streams.  In this approach, electron beam energy is used to force the oxidation of the organic compounds at process temperature; no heat is required.  Only small amounts of CO₂ from the destroyed pollutant are generated.  Since only electricity is required to achieve pollution destruction, a wide range of energy sources, including those which do not generate CO₂, can be exploited.  And because the energy is applied directly to the air steam, 100% transfer of energy from the electron beam source is achieved. 

We continue to work with partners to validate this application as well as plan for commercialization.  To learn more, please view the technical poster that AEB presented at the 2007 Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Conference.

If asked just a short time ago, I may have guessed it was the name of a newly discovered planet.  However, after visiting Drupa for the first time, I now realize it is actually the intergalactic emperor of trade shows.  I was humbled.  And, I was excited at the universe of opportunities for modern electron beam curing technology.

As a sign of the growing trend to find sustainable and safe alternatives to conventional curing technologies for food packaging, our friends at ESI demonstrated their beams running on a flexo press from Comexi and a web offset press from Drent Goebel.  As expected, sustainability and energy efficiency were strong themes.  Also front and center were foci on overall productivity, economic solutions for short run packaging, and product differentiation solutions through process innovation, all for both digital and conventional printing solutions.

With the growing success of EB curing for traditional print packaging, we are seeing an increasing interest in deploying electron beams in a wider range of non-traditional applications.  In the April issue of the Radtech report, we discuss some alternative approaches to EB curing.  Leveraging AEB's compact, cost effective emitter technology opens up another universe of curing possibilities for the printing and packaging markets.

In a not surprising sign of the times, Dow Chemical announced last week that it would be raising the prices of all its products by 20% in response to rising energy costs.  This action affects prices and margins across the consumer good value chain.  Bloomberg News reports that many other large companies, including Monsanto, Hershey, General Mills and Avery Dennison, may follow suit.

New process technologies can change the paradigm, utilizing innovative solutions to reduce material costs.  As has been discussed previously in this blog, electron beams can reduce the amount of energy, water, and chemicals used in the manufacturing process.  However, electron beams also have the ability to enhance materials and, offering a strategy for doing more with less.

High energy crosslinking of polymers is a known and valuable application for manufacturing companies, having been researched and applied in practice for decades.   While it has been a common technology in the wire and cable and tire manufacturing industries, its adoption was limited by the high-energy nature of traditional electron beams.  Traditional techniques included utilizing a contract electron beam processors, such as Sterigenics, to provide bulk resin processing services. 

As companies innovate, and costs rise, there is a growing interest in using low-voltage EB technology for in line treatment of polymer films, fibers, nonwoven materials and even raw resins.  While the effects of EB on materials vary widely depending on the material's specific chemistry, there is ample literature on the beneficial effects of EB on common polymers. 

Manufacturers of wide ranging products are finding that low-voltage electron beams can deliver an improvement in mechanical and chemical properties, including tensile strength, creep resistance, and thermal resistance.  This provides a cost effective approach to obtaining equivalent or superior product performance while at the same time using less resin in the current material or with a less expensive material altogether. 

AEB plans to increase the amount of research on the effects of low voltage electron beam technology on materials through programs such as our research collaboration with UMass Lowell.  Over time, we hope to see more focus on low voltage electron beam in established industry groups, such as the Society of Plastic Engineers' radiation processing group and at the International Meeting on Radiation Processing. 

The fastest way to begin exploring the possibilities of low voltage electron beam treatment for materials enhancement is to have a conversation with AEB's Application Services Group.  For more information, please contact us. 

This past Friday, the Boston Business Journal hosted the Green Business Summit, which focused on the emergence and growth of the cleantech cluster in Massachusetts.  The event included a full spectrum of business and policy thought leaders discussing topics ranging from renewable energy to sustainable manufacturing to green construction.

While there is no firm definition of cleantech - actually, wikipedia has one - renewable energy technologies tend to get the most attention.  Increasingly, there is an appreciation for the potential of sustainable manufacturing practices and technology that can improve industrial energy efficency that also gets included in the cleantech umbrella.

AEB's role in this sector is unique in that it provides a several-fold sustainability benefit:  Traditional manufacturing industries are replacing conventional thermal and chemical processes with electron beams in order to reduce pollution, decrease energy consumption, reduce raw material usage, and improve overall productivity across a wide range of applications. 

In conjunction with the summit, the BBJ also released a special report titled Sustainable Boston: 2008 Green Business Report.  AEB is included twice in the publication:

• Our CEO, Mitch Tyson, is featured in an article on the dynamics around finding strong business leaders for the sector.
• AEB is listed amongst the largest employers in the state for this new and growing cluster.

While there is not an online version of the report, you can contact the Boston Business Journal to receive a copy.

Following on this cleantech theme, AEB will be presenting a paper on the Benefits of Electron Beam Adoption in Indusrial Processes at the upcoming Clean Technologies & Sustainable Industries Conference in Boston.

Hope to see you there.

Packaging Strategies held its 10th annual Global Pouch Forum this past week in Chicago.  The event drew two hundred or so equipment providers, material suppliers, converters, co-packers, and brand owners: we were the only electron beam company on hand.  The discussion focused on trends, innovation, and sustainability issues surrounding the pouch packaging format.

For those of you who are not familiar, pouches are one of the fastest growing methods for the packaging of foods, beverages, and consumer goods. Wild Flavors broke the mold when they introduced the Capri Sun pouch back in 1981. Since this time, the use of pouches as a packaging technology has grown exponentially and is now encroaching on many of the packaging applications traditionally dominated by cans, bottles, and boxes.

Some of the advances in pouch technology discussed were:

• Resealability (Sargento Foods was given an award for it resealable shredded cheese bag)
• Easy pour features
• Freshness seals
• Aseptic filling
• Barrier technologies and active packaging concepts (we discussed this technology in Electron Beam Curing for Advanced Funtional Coatings)

As would be expected, sustainability was a common theme.  While comparisons of carbon footprint are difficult and infinitely debatable, the pouch has some intuitive advantages over traditional packaging formats:

For Beverages: Less resin used than PET bottles

For Perishables: Resealability reduces food waste over cans

For Dry Goods: Lighter weight and cheaper to produce than bag in box

Ebeams for Pouches? 

Electron Beam technology can impact the pouch business in a few key ways: 

1. In-line electron beam sterilization of pouches and web material is low heat, chemical free alternative for aseptic filling applications
2. EB Curing of inks, coatings, and adhesives can be an energy efficient, VOC -free alternative to traditional solvent based curing
3. EB crosslinking of films can improve strength and heat resistance of common polymer materials - leading to less overall resin used in the packaging.

Radtech's UV/EB 2008 conference cannot get much greener.  Sustainability and Green Chemistry are all the rage at the Energy Curable Industry's bi-annual event.  Awards for greenest products are being handed out. Conference sessions are dedicated to the topic. The trade press is dedicating lead articles (e.g. Ink World, The Radtech Report, Finishing Today, Food and Beverage Packaging).

Is it overkill?  We don't think so.  Energy curable technologies have been delivering sustainable manufacturing solutions for decades and are a proven approach for increasing industrial energy efficiency.  However, UV and EB technologies gained traction by delivering unique performance advantages - not by having lower carbon footprints.  Now in this time of record energy prices, record environmental awareness, and record spending on green advertising campaigns by brand owners and retailers, energy curable technology is finally able to market its greenness as a true competitive advantage. 

Fact: Transitioning from thermal curing to energy curable technologies can enable manufacturers to decrease energy consumption by an order of magnitude and eliminate VOC emissions while still maintaining quality and speed.   That is pretty green.

The US Department of Energy issued a call for research proposals from DOE funded National Laboratories for Concept Definition and Concept Development projects related to "Nanomanufacturing for Energy Efficiency."

Low voltage electron beam technology has many potential applications in this field.  Examples pulled directly from this proposal include:

Coatings and thin-films (e.g. low-friction, -drag, -wear, and corrosion-resistant; dispersion aids; thermal and energy applications)

Separations media (e.g. for chemicals, petroleum, pulp and paper, water purification, carbon management, and energy applications);

Nanocomposites (e.g. light weight or other functional materials for industrial, automotive, and energy applications)

Nanomanufacturing Process Development (e.g. scale up of nanomanufacturing)

To download the document from DOE, click here.

AEB is always eager to collaborate on early stage research projects - either government, university, or industry funded.  Our Application Development Services and our Application Development Unit product are ideal solutions for evaluating the potential for low voltage electron beams in a lab scale research project.  Additionally, the scalability of our electron beam emitter technology enables a clear path to commercialization. 

Feel free to contact us directly for more information.