More Than Meets the Eye: The World of Packaging Science

Maura FierroOctober 23, 2012

Overview

• Personal Background • MeadWestvaco and Center for Packaging Innovation

(CPI)• Case Study - Skin Care Formulations Dispenser• Q&A

Background

A little bit about me…

$6 billion in revenue

20,000 employees worldwide

Presence in 30 countries

Growth in emerging markets

+40% sales outside North America

75% of revenue from packaging businesses

MWV is a global leader in packaging and packaging solutions

We are the look and feel of some of the world’s most-admired products

We serve the world’s largest consumer brands across key industries

Healthcare Consumer Electronics Food Beauty &Personal Care

Home & Garden Tobacco Beverage Food Service

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Beverage

Multipack cartons and containers for beverage and food items

Beverage

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High strength paperboard High quality graphic paperboard

Food

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Food Service

Sustainable and convenient solutions

Food Service

Healthcare

Adherence-enhancing Solutions Primary dispensing solutions

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Healthcare

Beauty & Personal Care

Pump and trigger sprayers with customized aesthetics

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Beauty and Personal Care

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Home & Garden

Pump and trigger sprayers Hose end sprayers Aerosol Actuators

Home & Garden

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Tobacco

Paperboard packs and cartons Specialty Products

Tobacco

Corporate OfficesPackaging Operations Paperboard | Packaging | Dispensing

Other Operations C&OP | Chemicals | CDLM

Global Locations

Americas

Europe

Asia Pacific

Need higher quality version of this graphic

• Centralized hub for collaborative innovation with customers and MWV teams

• Vision• Make innovation a differentiator for customers

• Be a catalyst for transformative growth

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Center for Packaging Innovation

Packaging Materials• Paper Science• Coatings• Polymer Science• Analytical Science

Packaging Development• Packaging Processes• Package Development• Pilot Plant / Diagnostics

Open Innovation Innovation Process Management

Research & Development

MWV Innovation Capability

Case Study: Chemical Compatibility of

Skin Care Formation Dispenser

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Pearl – Features

•Non Locking

•Bellow technology suitable for high

viscosity fluids

•Reduction of part count

•Metal free fluid pathway

•Maximum bottle evacuation

Total Effects, Olay’s top-selling line of anti-aging

moisturizers, is expected to save 800,000 pounds of

plastic a year – equivalent to the weight of a Boeing

747.

One component replaces five in conventional pump technology

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Pearl – Anatomy

Container (PP)

Bellow

Piston (HDPE)

Base (PP)

Overcap (PP)

Nozzle (PP)

Base (PP)

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Chemical Compatibility of Elastomer Valve

Background

• Elastomer valve in all plastic dispenser is in contact with skin care products and undergoes stress in use.

• Over time some ingredients migrate into the plastic.• This can cause cracking, swelling, flaking, dissolution of the elastomer…

a phenomenon known as:

Environmental Stress Cracking

• Ultimately this can cause pump failure!

Objective

Resolve issues with elastomer valve failure due to compatibility with formulation to allow MWV to expand current Pearl opportunities to non-compatible products

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Chemical Compatibility of Elastomer Valve Approaches

1. Theoretical

• Solubility modeling to predict “bad actors” and develop hypotheses on chemically resistant materials

2. Experimental

• Experimental results are used to inform solubility model improved (or validated) predictions

• Materials selection and chemistry for product development

• Mechanical properties before and after exposure to formulations

• Immersion testing to quantify swelling and mass uptake

• Prototype molding with candidate materials

• Cycle testing – measure force to actuate, dispensed volumes, etc.

Skin Care Formulations

• Skin care formulations are composed of a chemically diverse range of ingredients:• Hydrophilic components• Hydrophobic components• Surfactants• UV absorbers• Fragrances• Preservatives• …Etc.

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Solubility Modeling

Predict product formulation-polymer solubility with theory.

• Polymers resistant to swelling considered good candidates for elastomer valve.

• Solubility relevant across number of packaging platforms (chemical migration, environmental stress cracking, etc.)

How the Model Works

Favorability of mixing predicted by thermodynamic fundamentals (polarity, Van der Waals, hydrogen bonding)

“Like dissolves like”.

If a material is within the Hansen solubility sphere of a given polymer, swelling / environmental stress cracking to be expected

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Experimental Approach• Use chemistry fundamentals to guide in selection of polymers that:

• Provide required mechanical properties

• Process on polymer processing equipment (injection molding)

• Resist Environmental Stress Cracking (ESC)

• Meet cost constraint criteria

• Material properties

• Mass uptake, swelling and solubility provide empirical connections to theory predictions

• Stress-strain relationships measured through Dynamic Mechanical Analysis

• Material properties connected to pump performance through engineering testing

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Conclusions• Science and engineering are applied in the development of packaging

materials to provide desired performance.

• Examples include

• Barrier (O2, H2O, aroma, light, liquid, etc.)

• Chemical resistance

• Sustainability (biopolymers, recyclable polymers, renewable resources, etc.)

• Both package contents and packaging materials must be considered.

• Theory and experiment can be applied together in Research and Development to solve problems.

• Fundamentals are a must!

• Working across teams is critical to success in business setting.

• Communication skills and adaptability, in addition to sound technical foundation, are important!

Thank you!

Questions?

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Pearl – Operation

FillingTop fill

Suction/ChargingEach up stroke decompressesthe bellow creating a depressionthat pulls product into dispenserfrom the container

Bellow

[Priming/]DispensingEach down stroke compressesfluid (air/liquid during priming)in the bellow that becomesdisplaced out by the head spout

ShippingHood protects headfrom being actuated.No liquid/air path open