Nanotechnology in Plastics Manufacturing by Sarah Michaels

Science is continually changing the way that plastics are manufactured. This extends to everything like a basic cord holder to more advanced technologies. Recently, Food Quality News reported on a variety of technological advances that are improving how food packaging is created, including new uses for nanotechnology in the design and manufacturing of plastic containers and other packaging.
Nanotechnology involves controlling matter on an atomic and molecular scale. When it comes to plastics design, nanotechnology frequently takes on the form of nanocomposites, materials used as fillers which have at least one dimension smaller than 100 nanometres. These fillers help to improve the inherent weaknesses of many polymers used in creating plastic food containers. According to the research paper "Review: Nanocomposites in Food Packaging" which appeared in the Journal of Food Science late last year, even with advanced injection mold design, the polymers used to create plastic food containers have an "inherent permeability to gases and vapors, including oxygen, carbon dioxide and organic vapors."
According to the research paper, nanocomposites can help to strengthen the polymers' "barrier properties," not only making them less permeable to outside gases and vapors but also increasing their mechanical strength and making them more able to withstand the stress of thermal food processing, transportation and storage. The report showed that nanocomposites such as MMT and kaolinite clays have "good promise" as polymer fillers during the production of plastics where strength is important such as food containers or sports display cases.
However, the use of nanocomposites has not been without its share of controversy. In January 2010, a government committee in the UK said that the secrecy with which different plastics companies are guarding their nanocomposite research could lead to a public backlash similar to the outrage about genetic modified foods. In order to avoid this, the report urged that every plastics part manufacturer and other plastics companies in the UK be more open and public about their nanocomposite research.