The autoclavable, retortable all-polyester structure offers recyclable, high-barrier packaging options for medical device kits and drug delivery.

Daphne Allen

March 11, 2020

2 Min Read
StreamOne R from PAXXUS Wins Several Awards
Image courtesy of Paxxus Inc.

StreamOne R Retortable Recycle-Ready Polyester from PAXXUS has been recognized in the Flexible Packaging Association’s annual competition with several awards: a gold award in sustainability, a gold award in technical innovation, and a silver award in packaging excellence.

“Receiving multiple FPA awards for StreamOne R is the ultimate validation of PAXXUS’s long-term commitment toward developing leading edge technology for the evolving circular economy,” Dwane Hahn, vice president of sales and marketing for PAXXUS, told MD+DI.

Originally designed for a food application that required ultra-high barriers to maintain taste quality and shelf-life requirements, StreamOne R is also proposed for use in medical kits and drug-delivery systems.

The all-polyester StreamOne R was developed for applications requiring retort or autoclave sterilization. In its submission to FPA, PAXXUS explained that singe-stream options have been limited for high-barrier packaging that must undergo high-temperature processing. “Historically, a polypropylene paired with a high-barrier oriented polypropylene (oPP) has been the only choice. Unfortunately, the barrier offered by high-barrier oPP is significantly degraded upon retort or autoclave sterilization,” according to the company.

PAXXUS explained that StreamOne R is the first all-polyester packaging solution that provides an ultra-high barrier and hermetic seals even after exposure to retort/autoclave cycles, the company reported. After sterilization, it has a barrier of 0.01 cc/100 in.2 day atm and moisture barrier of 0.02 g/100 in.day.

In addition to being presented as an alternative to oPP, StreamOne R is also suggested as an alternative for aluminum foil structures for applications requiring protection from moisture and/or oxygen. “Aluminum foil is a very energy intensive material to manufacture,” the company explained in its submission. “The production of aluminum alone consumes approximately 54 MJ/kg. The energy savings by eliminating the use of aluminum foil for the barrier layer ranges from an impressive 1.0 MJ/m2 for 0.00028 in. aluminum foil to 3.7 MJ/m2 for 0.001 in. aluminum foil.”

Another accomplishment of StreamOne R is its broad sealing window described by PAXXUS as “well below the melting point of oriented polyester yet significantly above the 120-130°C (250-266°F) retort/autoclave processing temperatures.” The result is a seal that will withstand under extreme retort/autoclave cycles.

Earning a gold award in sustainability, StreamOne R offers the chance to recycle an ultra-high barrier, retortable packaging material in a single-polymer (#1 polyester) recycling stream. According to the company submission, “the oxide barrier coating is only angstroms thick and therefore does not impede recyclability. Post-industrial waste can be easily recycled and packages made with StreamOne R are recycle-ready for the consumer-waste stream.”

About the Author(s)

Daphne Allen

Daphne Allen is editor-in-chief of Design News. She previously served as editor-in-chief of MD+DI and of Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News and also served as an editor for Packaging Digest. Daphne has covered design, manufacturing, materials, packaging, labeling, and regulatory issues for more than 20 years. She has also presented on these topics in several webinars and conferences, most recently discussing design and engineering trends at IME West 2024 and leading an Industry ShopTalk discussion during the show on artificial intelligence.

Follow Daphne on X at @daphneallen and reach her at [email protected].

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