Summary

Description

The goal of this project is to develop flexible food packaging materials with an effective barrier against oxygen and moisture. This technology will build on sol-gel core competency of the company, which has been expanded under NASA funding. In this Phase I project, InnoSense LLC (ISL), in collaboration with Professor Melvin Pascall at Ohio State University, will demonstrate the potential of ISL's nanomaterials-based barrier technology in NASA space exploration. The Phase I project would demonstrate: (a) that flexible thin film barrier layers can be deposited onto polymeric substrates and can be adhesively bonded to a polypropylene layer for flexible food packaging applications, (b) achievement of water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) < than 0.001 g/m2-day and oxygen transmission rate (OTR) < than 0.001 cc/m2-day for the flexible thin-film barrier. The focus of Phase II will be optimization of the barrier architecture, and the evaluation of prototype flexible pouches for their mechanical and barrier layer properties after retorting, a process typically used to package reheatable foods in flexible packaging applications. To assure success of this project, ISL has assembled a technical team with a cumulative 60 person-years of experience in specialty coatings, polymers and packaging areas.