Returnable bottles “as new” after 50 cycles thanks to Arkema’s solutions

It also offers a masking product, Opticoat®, to help conceal scratches.Kercoat^® and Opticoat^® complement each other and so considerably improve the appearance and service life of bottles. Arkema will present both solutions at the Brau tradeshow in Nüremberg from November 11 to 13 2014.

Scuffing resulting from various contacts during filling and a growing number of return cycles for returnable glass bottles impairs their appearance as well as their marketing value. It has been shown that after 10 filling cycles, bottles with untreated glass no longer meet high-end packaging requirements. The appearance of bottles influences the brand image and therefore sales, and so it is vital for brewers and for bottlers of soft drinks and mineral water to ensure that their bottles always look like new.

To address this major concern for bottlers and help them extend the lifetime of their fleet of returnable bottles without loss of their original flawless appearance, Arkema offers two solutions:

1. Kercoat^® to delay the onset of scuffing,

2. Opticoat^® to mask it.

Kercoat^®to delay the onset of scuffing

Applying the Kercoat^® protection solutionon bottle filling lines helps delay the onset of scuffing and white marks, while preserving the bottles’ burst pressure resistance. Trials have shown that after 20 cycles, bottles treated with Kercoat^® exhibit virtually no white marks, thereby helping significantly extend their service life.

Thanks to its properties, the Kercoat^® technology affords savings of some 20% over a year in the cost of purchasing and maintaining fleets of returnable glass bottles. This unique solution in the market includes the protection product, the installation of a spray system, and technical support.

Opticoat^® to mask scuffing

For scuffed bottles, Arkema provides a masking coating technology called Opticoat^® that helps considerably extend the service life of returnable bottles. This coating forms a thin masking layer that restores glass appearance and feel. Opticoat^® can be applied on dry, wet, warm or cold bottles: it is resistant to humidity and is environmentally sound.

Collaboration with Carlsberg to extend the service life of their bottles

Arkema has been collaborating with brewer Carlsberg since January 2014 to optimize the environmental impact of their returnable bottles, while also initiating the evaluation of its Kercoat^® et Opticoat^® products by other leading suppliers in the packaging industry based on the Cradle to Cradle^® protocol used by the EPEA environmental body. As part of this approach, Arkema is playing an active part in the Carlsberg Circular Community whose aim is to improve all packaging materials used by the Carlsberg group.

Arkema educates the market about its glass treatment solutions: the Glass Coating Academy

Arkema is setting up a Glass Coating Academy: information/training modules in the form of Webinars will be provided on a regular basis on the Kercoat^® and Opticoat^® solutions. For registration, please email elodie.chal@arkema.com or visit the Arkema stand at Brau 2014 in Nüremberg (Hall 4 – Stand 303).

A global chemical company and France’s leading chemicals producer, Arkema is building the future of the chemical industry every day. Deploying a responsible, innovation-based approach, we produce state-of-the-art specialty chemicals that provide customers with practical solutions to such challenges as climate change, access to drinking water, the future of energy, fossil fuel preservation and the need for lighter materials. With operations in more than 40 countries, some 14,000 employees and 10 research centers, Arkema generates annual revenue of €6.1 billion, and holds leadership positions in all its markets with a portfolio of internationally recognized brands.