Nanomaterials-Based Water and Moisture Impermeable Barrier for Food Packaging

The goal of this project is to develop flexible food packaging materials with an effective barrier against oxygen and moisture. This technology will build on sol-gel core competency of the company, which has been expanded under NASA funding. In this Phase I project, InnoSense LLC (ISL), in collaboration with Professor Melvin Pascall at Ohio State University, will demonstrate the potential of ISL's nanomaterials-based barrier technology in NASA space exploration. The Phase I project would demonstrate: (a) that flexible thin film barrier layers can be deposited onto polymeric substrates and can be adhesively bonded to a polypropylene layer for flexible food packaging applications, (b) achievement of water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) < than 0.001 g/m2-day and oxygen transmission rate (OTR) < than 0.001 cc/m2-day for the flexible thin-film barrier. The focus of Phase II will be optimization of the barrier architecture, and the evaluation of prototype flexible pouches for their mechanical and barrier layer properties after retorting, a process typically used to package reheatable foods in flexible packaging applications. To assure success of this project, ISL has assembled a technical team with a cumulative 60 person-years of experience in specialty coatings, polymers and packaging areas.