Melodea unveils a new plant sourced barrier coating

Green-tech start-up Melodea developed MelOx™, a high-performance, plant-sourced barrier coating that protects packaged products from oxygen and oil and grease transmission. The company also developed Melodea VBcoat™ that protects packaged goods from water vapor and oil and grease transmission.

Unlike existing materials used for such purpose like plastics and aluminum, Melodea sources its barrier coating material for packaging from wood pulp, the same raw material used to make paper. The innovative green solution helps steer paper and packaging producers toward more socially responsible packaging routes and will enable them to meet sustainability goals more quickly. The coatings are sustainable and recyclable, and do not contribute to plastic waste pollution.

“Cellulose, the primary building block of the cell walls of all plants, is the most abundant biopolymer on the planet. It provides plants with extraordinary strength, and is a lightweight—yet strong—material We found that this bounteous and renewable material can be utilized to produce novel, eco-friendly packaging alternatives for the packaging industry,” explains Shaul Lapidot, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Melodea.

The company applies proprietary technology to extract cellulose nanocrystals from wood pulp sourced from trees grown in industrial forests. The sustainable barrier coatings are uniquely designed to offer protection from oxygen, oil, grease, and water vapor transmission. The coatings helps maintain the quality and integrity of the packaged foods inside, while eliminating the need for aluminum and plastic. As a forestry by-product, it also is compostable, recyclable, and completely non-toxic for people and the environment. Once done with the package, one can simply throw it into the recycling bin.

The company’s liquid formulas can be applied as a coating to various substrates, including paper, paperboard, bio-plastic, and even plastic itself. It serves companies across the packaging value chain, from paper and packaging producers to consumer goods manufacturers and food companies. The high-barrier coatings can be tailored to a broad range of packaging products, such as pouches, lids, and food and beverage cartons. It is suitable for packaging both dry and liquid products. “Our coatings can easily be integrated into standard industrial coating lines, including slot dies, rod coaters, and gravures,” Weiss adds. “The coatings already are in pilot use by a number of major companies.”

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