Technology company Tera-Barrier Films (TBF, Singapore) has developed a stretchable plastic film containing a layer of encapsulated nanoparticles that can help prolong the shelf-life of pharmaceuticals, food and electronics. The company, a spin-off from Singapore's Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE; www.imre.a-star.edu.sg), says the material is thinner than, but as effective as, aluminium foil at preventing penetration by air and moisture.

The 700 nm encapsulated nanoparticle barrier film has an air and moisture barrier that is about 10 times better than the transparent oxide barriers currently used to package food and medicines, TBF claims. The film has already been validated by several companies and potential commercialisation partners, it adds.

"TBF's strategy is to bridge the gap between aluminium foil and transparent oxide films by creating new packaging structures for the niche applications in the food, medical, pharmaceuticals and electronics markets," says Senthil Ramadas, chief technology officer at TBF. "The secret behind TBF's film lies in our patented encapsulated nanoparticle layer that consists of nanoparticles in polymer shells."

The encapsulated nanoparticles increase the packing density, making it difficult for water and oxygen molecules to pass through the film. The nanoparticles also actively adsorb and react with water and oxygen molecules to trap them, further lowering the amount of moisture and air passing through the film.

The films are transparent, allowing see-through packing, while their stretchability facilitates simple packaging processes, says TBF. In contrast, aluminium-based packaging is more expensive to process, opaque, non-stretchable and interferes with electronics, it adds.