Biodegradable plastic-free paper barrier coating material

Overview

Lactips has developed a protein-based pellet material designed to replace conventional plastic barrier coatings on paper substrates. The solution delivers heat sealability along with grease, mineral oil, and oxygen barrier performance, enabling paper converters to meet demanding packaging requirements without relying on fossil-derived polymers. The material is fully biobased, plastic-free, home compostable, and biodegradable in water and marine environments, making it compliant with single-use plastics (SUP) regulations.

Technical specifications

Key features:

• Protein-based pellet formulation processable through extrusion coating or dispersion coating on standard paper and paper converter lines
• Multiple grades available to deliver specific functionalities including heat sealability, grease barrier, mineral oil barrier, and oxygen barrier
• Achieves grease barrier performance rated at kit test level 12
• Oxygen barrier performance below 20 cc
• Mineral oils barrier protection against MOSH and MOAH
• Formulation expertise in thermoplastic natural polymers and natural polymer compounds
• Adaptable pellet formulations that can be tuned to market needs and customer feedback

Technology readiness level

The technology has been validated at lab scale, where Lactips produces A4 coated paper samples for initial evaluation. Pilot and industrial scale trials require partner involvement, with Lactips providing technical support for process integration. The company has experience in commercializing natural polymer materials, initially in the home care market and now expanding into food and cosmetics packaging applications.