Liquid packaging board is a multi-ply
paperboard
Paperboard is a thick paper-based material. While there is no rigid differentiation between paper and paperboard, paperboard is generally thicker (usually over 0.30 mm, 0.012 in, or 12 points) than paper and has certain superior attributes ...
with high stiffness, strong
wet sizing and a high barrier
coating
A coating is a covering that is applied to the surface of an object, usually referred to as the substrate. The purpose of applying the coating may be decorative, functional, or both. Coatings may be applied as liquids, gases or solids e.g. Pow ...
, e.g.
plastic
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adapta ...
. Only virgin
paper fibers are used. The barrier coating must hold the liquid and prevent migration of air and flavors through the paperboard.
Manufacture
A liquid packaging board might be up to five plies and is formed on a multi-ply
paper machine with online coating. The most common is to use three plies with a
basis weight of about 300 g/m
2.
The base or middle ply is normally made of
pulp from bleached or unbleached chemical pulp, CTMP or ''broke'' (waste paper from a paper machine). CTMP gives more bulk and stiffness. The top ply (inside) is made of bleached chemical pulp. The barrier coating depends on the application and might be applied on both sides. When
induction welding Induction welding is a form of welding that uses electromagnetic induction to heat the workpiece. The welding apparatus contains an induction coil that is energised with a radio-frequency electric current. This generates a high-frequency elec ...
is employed an
aluminum foil layer is used for barrier protection and for heating. The back side of the board is the printing side and might have an extra ply made from chemical pulp of quality that is suitable for the
printing
Printing is a process for mass reproducing text and images using a master form or template. The earliest non-paper products involving printing include cylinder seals and objects such as the Cyrus Cylinder and the Cylinders of Nabonidus. The ...
applications. Liquid packages are normally
heat sealed.
Cartons filled with short-shelf-life
dairy products use board that are barrier coated on both sides with one layer of low density
polyethylene
Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging ( plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including b ...
. For long-shelf-life products it is common to use
aluminium foil
Aluminium foil (or aluminum foil in North American English; often informally called tin foil) is aluminium prepared in thin metal leaves with a thickness less than ; thinner gauges down to are also commonly used. Standard household foil is typ ...
as barrier coating together with polyethylene. Commonly the
plastic coating Plastic coating is a term that is commonly used in technology but is nevertheless ambiguous. It can be understood to mean the coating of plastic (e.g., metallization of plastics) or the coating of other materials (e.g., electrical cable) with plasti ...
on the top side is 12 - 20 g/m
2 and on the reverse side 15 - 60 g/m
2.
Sanitary and
aseptic processing
Aseptic processing is a processing technique wherein commercially thermally sterilized liquid products (typically food or pharmaceutical) are packaged into previously sterilized containers under sterile conditions to produce shelf-stable products ...
of food contact products are critical.
Liquid packaging board is used for two package types: brick and gable top
carton
A carton is a box or container usually made of liquid packaging board, paperboard and sometimes of corrugated fiberboard.
Many types of cartons are used in packaging. Sometimes a carton is also called a box.
Types of cartons
Folding carto ...
s.
Applications
*Packaging for
beverages. The most common applications are
milk
Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulat ...
and
juicebox packaging.
See also
*
plastic-coated paper
*
Tetra Brik
Tetra Brik is a brand name for a carton package produced by the Swedish packaging company Tetra Pak. Its shape is cubic or cuboid, and it is available with or without various different caps. The Tetra Brik is the best-known and most sold package ...
References
{{packaging
Paperboard
Packaging materials