Avoidance Of Mineral Oil Migration From Recycled Packaging Paper And Board - Possibilities And Limitations

摘要

Chemicals and additives that are used for former applications of paper, paper converting, printing and coating can be found in paper for recycling. During the last years an intensive discussion between representatives from authorities, paper manufacturers and researchers about mineral oil in foodstuff and packaging material has taken place. Coldset offset inks for printing of newspapers are considered as the major source of mineral oils in recycling loops and recycled fiber products. Mineral oil hydrocarbons below 24 carbon atoms may migrate from the board via the gas phase into foodstuffs. To avoid the migration of mineral oil hydrocarbons and other volatile contaminants from cardboard into foodstuffs three different strategies are possible. 1. Substitution of mineral oils in coldset offset printing inks by using vegetable oil and vegetable oil based compounds for printing of newspapers 2. Removal of mineral oil hydrocarbons in processes of recovered paper preparation (flotation, heat treatment, using of additional adsorbents and surfactants, removing of fine particles fraction) 3. Using of functional barriers for food packaging (additional adsorbents in the cardboards, coatings, inner bags). In all these subject areas interesting research work has been done during the last years, part of them at PMV. This article will give an updated overview on the last research results as well as the possibilities and limitations of these three approaches from the German point of view.