The two new coatings for the exterior of conventional two-piece aluminium beverage cans are free from bisphenols, styrene and PFAS.
The Packaging Coatings division of the international paints and coatings manufacturer AkzoNobel
has recently announced that it has released Accelstyle 100 and Accelstyle 200, the first two products in its new Accelstyle range specifically developed to for coating the exterior of conventional two-piece aluminium beverage cans.
The new solutions are free from bisphenols, styrene and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Accelstyle 100 is a waterborne gloss overprint coating which has already undergone several successful large-scale trials and qualifications processes with the major European can manufacturers, while Accelstyle 200 is a waterborne matt overprint varnish that is currently undergoing trials in order to optimise the prototypes for different gloss levels – from ‘soft touch’ high matt to a ‘grippy feel’ mid-matt effect.
“The new Accelstyle products further illustrate our commitment to giving customers the tangible support they need to transition to a new future. Both new products – Accelstyle 100 and 200 – can be seamlessly introduced into existing production processes, allowing can makers to transition to coatings that are free from certain important materials of concern, while remaining as commercially viable as possible,” has stated Jim Kavanagh, the director of the Industrial Coatings business unit of AkzoNobel. “These bisphenol-free products have a lower carbon footprint, compared with those we previously supplied. For example, the carbon footprint of the products for can interiors that we will manufacture in the new facility will be 26% lower than our earlier offerings, which were epoxy-based. And it is important to point out that bisphenol-free metal packaging is not just circular, it also meets consumer expectations for more sustainable packaging.”
AkzoNobel is also investing €32 million in a new plant at its Spanish site in Vilafranca, where the company will produce bisphenol-free coatings for the metal packaging industry for the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region. The facility will leverage advanced automation and has been designed according to high eco-efficiency standards, enabling the company to make a step-change in energy and material efficiency. It is expected to become operational by mid-2025 and will create around 40 new job positions.
“The new facility will help us to respond to a strong need from the packaging industry. The Vilafranca plant will allow us to offer leading-edge products to any customer and country in EMEA, responding to the most stringent bisphenol regulations in force in Europe. The investment is in line with our view that bisphenols are no longer required to create safe food contact coatings for the metal packaging industry,” has added Kavanagh.