Developments in Aerosol Technology – Part II

As said in my previous article I will describe here some new developments in specific applications for airless and bag-on-valve aerosols. To refresh the memory of my readers let me start with a short repeat about airless systems.

There are two main types of airless systems, but the most used is the piston airless system. A piston airless system uses a moulded piston in the bottle, to help push the product out of its package. Airless systems by design create a vacuum. The piston helps maintain that vacuum.

Recently the pouch airless system is getting popular, capturing a significant percentage of the airless market. A pouch system is made of a rigid bottle containing a soft pouch with an airless pump. When the product is expelled, the pouch shrinks so that there is no air intake inside the pouch.

Now a closer look at the Airless Paper Blow from Yonwoo, the Bag-On-Valves from Coster, the dual-chamber dispensing bottle from Gidea, and Eggs packaged in aerosol can.

The AirOPack from IPS Innovative Packaging

Although I already wrote about the AirOPack from IPS Innovative Packaging Solutions AG in Switzerland, in my article “DuPont Packaging Awards 2012 – Part 02” it is impossible to leave this development out of this overview. The AirOPack is a new, innovative technology to dispense fluids, high viscosity liquids and creams by using a patented pressure control device that relies on air instead of conventional hydrocarbon chemical propellants. This system can replace traditional aerosol products that are used today with conventional metal cans and chemical propellants.

This dispenser consists of a blow-moulded plastic container fitted with a compressed air chamber and a pressure control device to protect against pressure drop, improve ease of use and ensure the maximum amount of product can be extracted from the container.

To read about the AirOPack go to my previous article.

The Bag-On-Valves from Coster

Once considered a niche market, Bag-On-Valves (BOVs) are becoming increasingly popular for cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. With the BOV technology, formulations can be dispensed in any form (liquid, gel, cream or highly-viscous substances) and in any position (inverted or upright).

BOVs preserve the product from external contamination and keep it perfectly separated from the propellant (the product is contained inside the bag and the propellant remains outside the bag, inside the can). Moreover, there is no need to add any preservatives as the content is completely sealed from any possible contact with the air. They are also environment-friendly as they can be used in combination with compressed air or with liquefied propellants.

Other BOV features include: the use of either standard aluminium cans or tin plate cans, filling through the valve and the fact that the content is completely evacuated from the container.

Read the whole article in the blog Best In Packaging