Characterisation of biodegradable material for protective packaging

Packaging materials serve as an effective means of containment and distribution of products throughout the world. Packaging consumption is expected to increase and unless disposed of judiciously, can pollute the environment. Thus environmentally benign alternatives are required. Eco-foam(R) a water soluble, starch based material, is a prime candidate. The present paper discusses investigations into its suitability as an alternative material for protecting packaged products from impact shock. The investigations covered two aspects: the cushioning performance of Eco-foam(R) buffers, and the method of fabrication of the buffers and their integrity in damp environments. The rests revealed that the foam exhibits similar cushioning characteristics to expandable polystyrene. However, it fared better than expandable polystyrene for consecutive shocks or in instances when the buffer had surface cracks before the consecutive shocks were inflicted. Multiple ply Eco-foam(R) buffers fabricated by arranging single ply planks in cross lay yielded the best cushioning performance over simply stacked in consecutive drops. It was also found that although the foam is very susceptible to damage by moisture, adequate desiccant drying in enclosed spaces during handling and transportation is quite sufficient. PRCPA/1488 (C) 1998 The Institute of Materials.