710016NanoPermClosedGRD Proof of ConceptInnovate UKPlastic packaging is used extensively by the food industry to preserve the freshness and extend the shelf life of food and beverage products. A key property of plastics is their impermeability to gases, as it is critical that the packaging acts as an efficient barrier to moisture, oxygen and carbon dioxide. Several inexpensive polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene are at present unsuitable for certain types of food packaging because gases, especially oxygen, diffuse through them too easily. The packaging industry is extremely eager to use inexpensive, monofilm, recyclable polyolefins rather than composite multilayer films with their attendant problems of post consumer handling and disposal. There is a huge market pull for our solution. It is known that the gas permeability of polymers can be reduced using nano-platelets of clay as a filler, which microstructurally creates a tortuous path, thereby reducing gas permeability. Although nano clays can be exfoliated and dispersed in polyamides, the 20 year old technology relies on surfactants and compatibilisers that are unnacceptable in food applications. Considerable research has been expended on dispersing nano clays in polyolefins without the use of such undesireable agents but none have yet succeeded or developed cost effective solutions on any significant scale. Initial market research through our Pathfinder Project has demonstrated that there is a significant demand for polymer films and polymer coating with improved gas barrier properties for use in packaging in order to extend the shelf life of foods and to enable the introduction of recyclable clay impregnated polymer to address the recycling agenda. More than 90% of all foods reach the consumer in packaged form (BASF.COM). Further, WRAP estimate that 6.7million tonnes of this food are wasted every year in the UK. The drive to improve food packaging to meet consumer requirements and lessen environmental impact is a key factor in the sustainable future of the food packaging industry. There is significant demand for improved oxygen and carbon dioxide barrier properties in both conventional and recyclable polymer films in order to enhance performance.