Innovative sealing technology to enable the manufacture of mono-material spouted pouches that are designed for recyclability and help advance plastic circularity goals.

The new technology can help brands meet their sustainability packaging goals (symbol image). Image source: geralt / Pixabay.

Dow and Menshen have announced a new transformative reverse spout sealing technology that enables the production of spouted pouches made of mono-material films. This technology allows converters to address the recycling criteria for flexible packaging and can help brands meet their sustainability packaging goals. 

"We basically reversed the idea of where and when the heat needs to be applied during the spout sealing process”, explained Dr. Peter Sandkuehler, Global Application Technology Leader at Dow’s Packaging & Specialty Plastics business. "By transferring the heat from the pre-melted spout base directly to the sealant layer of the film, we’ve solved two challenges at the same time: how to easily seal spouts to mono-material films, and how to prevent the hard spout ribs from cutting into the film.”

The new process is designed to easily seal spouts in more heat sensitive, mono-material structures made from all polypropylene or all polyethylene packaging layers. Rather than traditionally applying the heat from outside the pouch forming film to melt the seal layer and the spout, the latter is pre-melted at its base before insertion into the pouch and sealing. 

"The beauty of the process is its simplicity,” said Sarah De La Mare, Business Development Officer at Menshen. "It is actually more logical to apply the heat from the inside rather than from the outside, whether you use mono-materials or not. We are currently working with several machine manufacturers to ensure that this technology can be integrated into new and existing spouted pouch making lines.”

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