For high protection and performance
Thanks to barrier coatings, paperboard can be used in far more end use applications compared with paperboard as such. Various barrier coatings provide critical properties such as humidity control, sealing properties, airtightness, light protection, oxygen permeability, aroma barrier, heat resistance, peelability and grease-proofing.
So, if you are packaging food, liquid or anything that requires tight packaging and effective protection, including perishable foodstuffs, our barrier-coated paperboards are for you. Barrier coatings are made of high-quality polymers, which are applied on the board surface on one or both sides, depending on the end use.
A full line of industry-leading barriers for packaging
We use extrusion-coating and extrusion-lamination technologies with proprietary coating recipes that optimise the coating, so that you only need a thin layer of polymer to achieve the required barrier. The product is still made of renewable raw material up to a large extent, typically 80-95%, but with plant-based barrier coatings it can be even 100% renewable raw material. We offer all options; the choice is yours.
So, how do you choose a suitable barrier coating? That depends on what kind of product you pack and what kind of protection and performance you want for it. Stora Enso has years of expertise in coatings and provides optimised solutions for all conceivable end uses.
Dispersion barrier
- Dispersion is a new barrier option without the traditional coating layers. Good sealing properties secure performance in use. The surface is finished with water-based dispersion technology. That makes the board liquid and grease resistant during its use while it breaks down in a recycling process like paper, providing high yield of recovered fiber when products are recycled.
- Typical end uses: Grease resistant board for short food contact applications including fast food and dry food packaging.
Green PE coating
- PE Green is a fully renewable option to traditional PE (polyethylene) and provides excellent humidity protection. PE Green is made of renewable, plant-based raw material, so you get a barrier packaging that is 100% renewable as well as recyclable. In converting, it performs the same way as PE and is therefore easy to introduce to production by customers.
- Typical end uses: drinking cups and packages for frozen food, ice cream and yoghurt. HDPE-coated paperboard for moisture-sensitive dry foods.
PE coating
- PE, or polyethylene, is the most commonly used barrier coating. Polyolefin barriers, such as LDPE and HDPE polymers, provide excellent humidity protection.
- Typical end uses: drinking cups and packages for frozen food, ice cream and yoghurt. HDPE-coated paperboard for moisture-sensitive dry foods.
Biodegradable coating “Bio”
- Biodegradable coatings are tailor-made polymers offering humidity, oxygen and grease barriers and sealability. Our biodegradable coatings are compostable. However, the biopolymer-coated paperboard can be easily recycled, too, which is usually the preferred end-of-life option.
- Biopolymers can be produced from natural crops or from fossil raw materials. But the key is that in the end the biopolymer-coated paperboard breaks down to humus and CO2. If you choose our biopolymer-coated paperboard, you get a product that is recyclable or it can be collected among other compostable waste that goes into industrial composting.
- Hardly any application exists where a traditional PE coating could not be replaced by our biopolymer coating! Typical end uses: drinking cups, plates, trays and cartons for fresh foods, salads, sandwiches and dairy products.
PET coating
- PET provides a barrier and performs other functions. Black or white PET coatings that provide heat resistance act as an excellent grease barrier and possess solid WVTR (water vapour transmission rate) properties.
- Typical end uses: ovenable trays, reheatable product packages and bakery products.
PP coating
- PP or polypropylene coating offers heat resistance for microwave oven and is also suitable for deep freezing. Good sealing properties secure performance in use.
- Typical end uses: cups and trays for microwave oven and frozen food.
High-barrier coating “Barr”
- Our patented high-barrier coating consists of a multilayer EVOH and PE polymer structure. It provides excellent oxygen, humidity and aroma protection. The high-barrier coated boards and papers are also greaseproof.
- Typical end uses: delicate foods, chocolate, cereals and dairy products. Dry foods, such as sweets, savoury and processed snacks, coffee and tea, milk and cocoa powders. Liquid products, such as juices, soft drinks, green tea, water, soups, desserts and wines.
High-barrier coating “Oxy Barr Al”
- Oxy Barr Al provides oxygen barrier. It has aluminium lamination on one side and optional PE coating on the printing side of the board.
- Typical end uses: coffee and other very sensitive foodstuffs.
To summarise, our wide selection of barrier coatings enables you to optimise protection, control odours and prolong the shelf life of your product. You get the most economical packaging solution and outstanding performance in one, while benefitting from the excellent printing and conversion properties of our paperboard. You can increase the share of renewable materials in your packaging and minimise the use of non-renewable materials, while enabling effective recycling and minimising waste and the environmental impact of your packaging.
