High-Barrier Food Packaging and Manufacturing Method Thereof

High-Barrier Food Packaging Using ECH Surface-Modified Paper and Boric Acid-Crosslinked PVA Barrier

This technology is a food packaging material and manufacturing method featuring a barrier film made of polyvinyl alcohol crosslinked with boric acid under an acid catalyst, coated onto a paper substrate surface-modified with an epichlorohydrin (ECH) aqueous solution.

While PVA films are non-toxic and offer high gas barrier properties, their low water resistance and high water vapor permeability have made them difficult to use for food packaging. Coated paper with a polymer barrier layer maintains its shape well, but weak adhesion between the paper and the barrier layer often leads to poor packaging quality.

This technology forms a modified layer on the paper surface using a 0.5 wt% to 3 wt% ECH aqueous solution to enhance adhesion with the boric acid-crosslinked PVA barrier film. The crosslinked barrier layer blocks oxygen and moisture, while the paper substrate maintains its shape, slowing food spoilage. Applicable to meal kit containers, food delivery packaging, and eco-friendly paper-based packaging, it reduces plastic use while ensuring barrier performance without delamination.

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Key Features:

• High-barrier food packaging comprising a paper substrate and a barrier film formed on at least one side of the substrate
• Configuration including a surface-modified layer formed by modifying the paper substrate with a 0.5 wt% to 3 wt% ECH aqueous solution
• Structure where the barrier film is formed by crosslinking polyvinyl alcohol and boric acid under at least one acid catalyst selected from sulfuric, nitric, or hydrochloric acid
• Step of coating a composition of crosslinked boric acid and polyvinyl alcohol onto the surface-modified paper substrate as a film and drying it at 60–100°C

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