Zanders, a leading German manufacturer of high-quality specialty papers and cartons for the label, packaging and commercial printing markets, has unveiled its latest proprietary product – a natural barrier paper called Zanbarrier NGR. “Due to a special manufacturing process, the use of fluorocarbons or other chemicals is completely unnecessary to ensure its function as a barrier,” said the company. The abbreviation NGR in Zanbarrier NGR stands for “Natural Grease Resistant.” During its unique production process, the cellulose fibres are subjected to an incredibly intense grinding process over several refining stages.
The surface area of the fibre is greatly enlarged, so that the absorption of water into the fibres is greatly increased, creating a gel-like fibre mass – in technical jargon ‘slow draining’ because the fibres actually feel greasy after refining. The cellulose fibres treated in this way form a tight and strong cross-linked sheet structure, thus creating a finished paper that has a 100% natural barrier to oil and grease – without the use of fluorocarbons or other chemicals. Applications for the new Zanbarrier NGR are identical to those of conventional barrier papers. In this way, all flexible food packaging requiring oil and grease-resistance, as well as wet-strength papers, are fully accommodated. These include fast-food packaging, french fries, butter wrappers, bread roll bags and food labels, as well as pizza and confectionery cartons.
Zanders releases new fluorocarbon-free barrier paper
