Active and intelligent

“Innovation in packaging. Active and intelligent packaging”: this the subject of the AIM Technological Day, that took place in the main conference theatre at the CNR (Milan) last June 5th. The event was organized jointly by the Italian Association of Macromolecular Science and Technology (AIM), by the Istituto Italiano Imballaggio (III) and the Institute for Macromolecular Study (ISMAC) of the CNR - the Italian national research institute. The Technological Days cover a strategic role of AIM, in that they enable the involvement of protagonists from different worlds - academic and industrial, from R&D but also from the applicative and commercial side - around a topic of great interest. Hence the Technological Days are in line with the mission of the association and a day covering packaging, the main application of the polymers, can be considered as particularly fulfilling the same. More than 80 people took part at the convention. And if it is true that the future will see the affirmation of the economy of knowledge, AIM sees its own role in promoting, within the limits and possibilities of its jurisdiction, greater awareness if not culture in sectors important for the scientific and technological scene. Also considering the success of the said event, AIM and the III have already agreed to promote other joint undertakings in the future. Here follows a summary of the subjects dealt with. The responses come from research - Why active and intelligent? For the world of packaging, the semantics of these terms are clear: “active” stands for interactive with the product and “intelligent” means packaging that communicates with the user. In actual fact the presentations of the day illustrated the new scientific and technological features in both directions.
• Marco Sachet, head of the Italian Institute of Packaging, showed how interactivity between product and consumer is a key aspect of the life of the future, but also for that of the present, if one considers that a highly automated and hence “intelligent” supermarket is already operating in Germany.
• Harri Kopola (head of VTT, Oulu, Finland) underlined how the print technologies are the best way of depositing functions, data and information on a packaging item in a targeted manner. The reference to intelligent and transparent coating was fascinating, that has a vital role in guaranteeing the safety of the product (one only has to think of the fight against counterfeiting) but also and perhaps aboveall for turning the wrapping into a portal: interacting with the coating we will be able to read what is written but also be able to discover, thanks to special
scanners, what is hidden, and through this portal we will enter into new environments that abound in the information we need.
• Luciano Piergiovanni (diSTAM, Agrarian Industry dept., Università degli Studi, Milan) reconstructed the history of active and intelligent packaging. Among the examples presented of his own research activity, the packaging material containing natural non traditional antibacterial organism, such as for example propolis, aroused particular interest.
• Francesco Pilati (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia) reminded those present how even common chemistry like sol-gel can find applications and high added value for the coating world, not only obtaining adherence on various types of substrates, but aboveall acting as a vehicle of active principles, such as for example antimicrobic Silver.
• Gaetano Guerra (University of Salerno) presented the application of a particular crystalline form of a polymer, polystyrene, for capturing the ethylene developed during the ripening of fruit, vegetables and flowers: the tiny cavities of the syndiotactic polystyrene in delta shape guarantee the freshness of natural products, for which this polymer acts as a form of packaging.
• Maria Carmela Sacchi (ISMAC-CNR Milan) illustrated how the synthesis of polymers that contain active principles in their molecular structures for stabilising the same gives them a greater resistance to aging.
• Francesco Ciardelli (University of Pisa) showed the optic response of polymer film (polyethylene and polyester) that contain
nanodispersions of colorants, whose state of aggregation, sensitive to both temperature and mechanical stress, is responsible for variations of color.
• Luigi Torre (University of Pisa) showed the barrier and flame suppressive effects of nanocharges to layers and the mechanical but aboveall electrical properties of carbide nanotubes, whose
conductability can be strongly varied adding gases such as oxygen.
• Franco Fattorini (Kiian SpA, Luisiago, Como) underlined how ink is not just the tool for decorating a substrate, but is evermore becoming, thanks to the traditional synergies with print technology, the selected vehicle for depositing both active and intelligent functions.