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EP-4741553-A1 - METHOD OF PRODUCING A BIODEGRADABLE THREE-DIMENSIONALLY SHAPED PRODUCT, AND BIODEGRADABLE THREE-DIMENSIONALLY SHAPED PRODUCT OBTAINABLE BY THE METHOD

EP4741553A1EP 4741553 A1EP4741553 A1EP 4741553A1EP-4741553-A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped product, the method comprising the steps of providing a carrier layer, providing a non-woven air-laid material on the carrier layer to give a layer structure comprising the carrier layer and a layer of the non-woven air-laid material, applying an additive to the layer structure, and molding the layer structure. The present invention relates to a three-dimensionally shaped product comprising a layer structure comprising a carrier, a non-woven air-laid material comprising fibers, and an additive in and/or on the layer structure.

Inventors

  • LUTTER, STEFANIE
  • LADANJI, Dijana
  • SEGER, Bernd
  • BORNER, Sebastian
  • Kühn, Jörg

Assignees

  • Glatfelter Gernsbach GmbH

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241108

Claims (15)

  1. A method for producing a three-dimensionally shaped product, the method comprising the steps of: providing a carrier layer; providing a non-woven air-laid material on the carrier layer to give a layer structure comprising the carrier layer and the non-woven air-laid material; applying an additive to the layer structure; molding the layer structure.
  2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the carrier layer comprises at least one non-woven selected from the group consisting of a spunlaced non-woven, a meltblown non-woven and a spunbonded non-woven.
  3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of providing a non-woven air-laid material on the carrier layer comprises air-laying a fiber composition on the carrier layer.
  4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the fiber composition comprises cellulosic pulp fibers and/or biopolymer fibers.
  5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the layer structure, in particular the non-woven air-laid material, has a moisture of less than 10 %, in particular less than 1 %, before the step of applying an additive to the layer structure.
  6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the additive is applied as at least one of a dispersion, a solution, a powder, a film and a fiber.
  7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the step of applying an additive to the layer structure comprises at least one of spraying, coating, casting, applying by a size press, dry impregnating, blending, laminating and extruding.
  8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the step of applying an additive to the layer structure comprises at least one of the following: - spraying and/or coating a dispersion or solution comprising the additive on at least one side of the layer structure, - dry impregnating the layer structure, in particular the carrier layer and/or the non-woven air-laid material, with a powder comprising the additive, - applying a film comprising the additive on at least one side of the layer structure, - adding a fiber to a fiber composition used for providing the layer structure, in particular the carrier layer and/or the non-woven air-laid material.
  9. The method according to claim 6 or 8, wherein the dispersion comprises water and further comprises at least one of biopolymer particles, cellulosic particles and cellulose derivatives.
  10. The method according to any one of claims 6, 8 or 9, wherein the solution comprises at least one of polyamido-amine epichlorohydrin (PAAE), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), starch and a polyvalent acid.
  11. The method according to any one of claims 6 or 8 to 10, wherein the powder comprises at least one of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), starch, lignin, alginate, microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) and a biopolymer.
  12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the step of molding the layer structure comprises shearing or pressing the layer structure at a temperature of from 50 to 260 °C and at a pressure of from 1 to 200 bar.
  13. A three-dimensionally shaped product obtainable by a method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.
  14. A three-dimensionally shaped product comprising a layer structure comprising a carrier layer; a non-woven air-laid material comprising fibers, an additive in and/or on the layer structure.
  15. The three-dimensionally shaped product according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the three-dimensionally shaped product is selected from the group consisting of a container, such as tea or coffee capsules, cutlery, such as spoons, and planter, such as plant pots.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of three-dimensionally (3D) shaped products, which are in particular biodegradable or compostable. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for producing a (biodegradable) three-dimensionally shaped product and a (biodegradable) three-dimensionally shaped product, which may be obtainable by the method. BACKGROUND With growing awareness of the environment and man-made climate change, the use of single-use plastic objects and products has come under increasing scrutiny. Despite these concerns, the use of these objects and products has grown dramatically with new lifestyle trends and consumer habits over the last years, such as the trend of consumption of food "to-go", typically involving single-serving disposable food container and cutlery. Likewise, the persisting popularity of single-use capsules for preparing hot beverages, in particular coffee, which are conventionally made from aluminum or plastic material, poses severe ecological problems. During the last years, the environmental aspect of the end-of-life of single use consumer goods became more and more important for the general public, as well as for brand owners and legislative bodies. Therefore, it became more and more important for brand owners to offer more sustainable product ranges, allowing customers to minimize their environmental footprint. Previous attempts in this regard include the following: US 2011/0259205 A1 proposes a capsule system comprising a paper-based wall with wax coating to form a biodegradable alternative for single use beverage pods. US 8656827 B2 proposes a capsule system which is not harmful for the environment and employs compostable materials, such as polylactic acid (PLA). WO 2008/148650 A1 outlines a coffee capsule system based on polypropylene (PP) and an EVOH gas barrier layer. US 2018/0362198 A1 proposes a capsule system employing a bicomponent PLA fiber to be used in a non-woven filter for coffee and tea applications. EP 3221238 B1 proposes a capsule system based on a cellulose based capsule body and a sealing film made of edible material containing alginic acid/alginate. US 2023/0256702 A1 discloses a 3D shaped product that is formed by hot pressing of an air-laid blank comprising natural fibers and a thermoplastic polymer binder and that is recyclable in a repulping process. However, previous attempts have so far not been fully satisfying concerning a substantially complete biodegradability and at the same time enabling various characteristics as required depending on the type of product. Thus, there is still room for further improvements in providing a biodegradable three-dimensionally shaped product. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims at overcoming the above described problems and drawbacks. Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a three-dimensionally shaped product that can substantially entirely biodegrade after use and at the same time enabling various characteristics, such as barrier properties (in particular oxygen, aroma, water vapor and/or liquid barrier), hot water resistance, pressure resistance, bending stiffness (in wet, dry, and hot wet environment), mouthfeel and/or haptic, as required depending on the type of product. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present inventors have made diligent studies and have found that this object can be solved by a layer structure comprising a carrier layer and a layer of non-woven air-laid material, to which layer structure an additive is applied and the layer structure is molded, such as by hot pressing, to the desired three-dimensionally shape. The inventors have in particular found that the additive or a combination of different additives (i) may support the 3D molding, (ii) may impart the product with desired surface properties, such as hydrophobicity, and/or (iii) may impart the product with desired mechanical properties, such as strength. Accordingly, the present invention relates to a method for producing a (biodegradable, compostable) three-dimensionally (3D) shaped product, the method comprising the steps of providing a carrier layer, providing (such as applying) a non-woven air-laid material on the carrier layer to give a layer structure comprising the carrier layer and (a layer of) the non-woven air-laid material, applying an additive to (e.g. into and/or onto) the layer structure, and (dry) molding (e.g. hot pressing) the layer structure (to give the three-dimensionally shaped product). The present invention further relates to a (biodegradable, compostable) (single-use, single-serving, disposable) three-dimensionally (3D) shaped product obtainable (e.g. obtained) by a method as described herein. Moreover, the present invention relates to a (biodegradable, compostable) (single-use, single-serving, disposable) three-dimensionally (3D) shaped product (e.g. obtainable by dry molding of a layer structure comprising a carrier layer and (a layer of