Nanotechnology is the newest craze among media, academia, investors (just think of the ROI if you hit a company that comes up wit the best “micromachine” for God knows what) and all kinds of industry. How will it affect the packaging industry?

Just a little background on Nanotechnology for those of you who are not familiar with it, do not read comic books or watch the Sci-Fi channel often. Nanoscience and Nanotechnology’s primary push, excitement or “umph”, if you will, is in the arenas of materials science, electronics, optoelectronics and biomedical. Biomedical is extremely exciting as it can be used hopefully for repairing organs, removing disease, or even making organs operate more efficiently. Then this will move into the military arena. How? A soldier can be repaired faster if injured. Or maybe the soldier can run faster if Nanotechnology or Micromachines are being used to enhance reflexes. The list goes on and on; you can use your imagination.

So Nanotechnology is the ability to manipulate molecules and atoms to create structures, which may be used in the real world. So how does this apply to packaging? Well the science will help deliver materials with greater functionality or durability for the increase in shelf life. Examples, that popcorn bag that junior tries to open will not spill over your new carpet; the coke can that can stand up to punctures a little better. How about that box in your garage that had the cement mix in it, which is now soaked with water? Having to deal with a mess like that would make anyone mad.

Nanotechnology will provide better fracture hardness for aluminum. Note the above example. Nanoscience will provide better tensile strength for items that use carbon fiber and improve flame resistance for plastics with “nanoclay” composites.

Gas-barrier characteristics of Nanoclay in food packaging have sparked great interest. Using Nanoclay in packaging films, i.e. shrink-wrap helps to create a better oxygen barrier. Nanoclay will also be used for the tracking of products through the supply chain.

In the next 5 years 5 million pounds of nanocomposite material will go into rigid and flexible packaging. This will affect the packaging of soft drinks, beer, meats and a vast array of packaged foods and condiments. These will be the first consumable items to be packaged in Nanotechnology Packaging. One can certainly hope it will allow one to get that last bit of ketchup out of that little pack whilst one is sitting at the ballpark!!!

One of the problems with Nanotechnology as with any new technology is the cost. This is something new and many companies in the paper, packaging and printing industries cannot really see what Nanotechnology can do for them. Will the cost be outweighed by the benefit, hopefully?

If the affects of Nanotechnology and its challenges are not addressed then the future of compositeness amongst companies and organizations will be threatened.