In this edition of our ‘In Conversation With…’ series, we hear about an upcoming barrier paper from Ahlstrom – FSC-certified, recyclable, heat-sealable, and more. Florence Vidal, New Product Development engineer for Food Packaging, walks us through the details.
Let’s start with Ahlstrom’s upcoming functional barrier paper. Can you give us a general overview of the material, its properties, and its product applications?
Florence Vidal, New Product Development engineer for Food Packaging at Ahlstrom
The upcoming functional barrier paper from Ahlstrom is a ready-to-use, recyclable solution designed for packaging applications that require both protection and heat-sealability. It combines moisture-vapor barrier, as well as grease resistance with high mechanical strength and crack resistance on a lightweight basis, allowing process efficiency and recyclability of the final product. The surface is smooth, allowing for high-quality printing and straightforward customization.
The paper provides a grease barrier free of any intentionally added PFAS and complies with stringent global food contact regulations. It is sourced from responsibly managed, FSC-certified forests and is recyclable according to EN 13430 and CEPI protocols. The material offers an optimized level of barrier performance for food applications, while remaining cost-efficient thanks to its runnability and compatibility with existing packaging lines.
We are currently testing machinability with IMA Ilapak to confirm consistent performance across multiple formats. Typical applications include snack bars, protein shakes, tea envelopes, biscuits, candies, and cake mix sachets, where brands are seeking to replace multi-material packaging with a circular, fiber-based alternative.
Can you tell us more about its moisture and vapour barrier properties? How do they work, and how do their transmission rates compare to conventional plastic laminates?
The paper offers a moisture vapor barrier in the range of 30 g/m²/day (23°C/85%), delivering strong protection for dry and semi-dry foods. While it does not reach the ultra-low transmission rates of plastic laminates, its performance is comparable to standard plastic films used in many food applications. Most plastic and laminated structures are typically overdesigned for the required barrier level, so this paper provides an optimal balance between protection and sustainability.
The structure combines LamibakTM Flex base paper with a proprietary coating developed by Ahlstrom. LamibakTM Flex ensures mechanical strength and surface integrity, while the coating fine-tunes barrier properties without compromising recyclability.
Unlike clay-coated papers, it remains uncoated for printability, maintaining a naturally smooth surface suitable for quality printing and resistance to printing cracking in the folds. It also offers grease resistance, essential for snack and confectionery packaging.
Which heat-sealing and printing technologies are the paper compatible with?
The paper has been industrially tested on an IMA Ilapak DCAM-type machine for pillow packs and on three-side sealing equipment for sachets. Trials were conducted confirming consistent heat-sealing performance and compatibility with other major OEM machines used in the market.
For printing, the paper has been successfully tested with digital inkjet technology and is fully suitable for industrial-scale flexographic printing. Its naturally smooth surface ensures excellent ink transfer and color consistency without requiring additional coating.
Ahlstrom is open to further testing with partners interested in validating the paper on their own lines and printing setups.
Ahlstrom worked with a manufacturing partner to test the paper in pillow bag and sachet formats. Could you tell us more about that process and what you learned from it?
We collaborated with IMA Ilapak, a key player in packaging machinery and an existing user of Ahlstrom papers. The goal was to validate the paper’s convertibility on form-fill-seal lines, testing it in both pillow bag and sachet formats.
The results were not positive from the first trials but the exchange experience and knowledge allowed us to improve our solution and reach the final sealing goals. At the end, the paper sealed efficiently, confirming its compatibility with standard equipment.
This work reflects our broader strategy to partner across the value chain, from converters and machine manufacturers to brands and coating providers, to ensure smooth integration and strong performance in real production environments.
In a recent webinar, Global R&D Manager Rafael Yamamoto told us the new paper won’t conflict with metallized or laminated barrier papers. Can you elaborate on that? What can this paper do that others can’t, and vice versa?
There is room in the market for every type of structure. Each has a role depending on product protection needs, line performance, and brand targets.
Our new functional barrier paper performs well on barrier while maintaining a simpler, lighter and recyclable structure. It meets recyclability standards and provides a sustainable, cost-efficient alternative to laminated or multi-material solutions.
LamibakTM Flex, the base paper we use for this functional barrier paper, can also be used in laminated or metallized structures when higher protection is required. Still, our focus is on its ability to deliver barrier performance with fewer layers, lower environmental impact, and strong cost competitiveness.
Finally, tell us more about Ahlstrom’s BoundlessBarriers platform. What would you say to any prospective customers reading this article?
BoundlessBarriers is Ahlstrom’s global platform for barrier technologies, created under our corporate R&D strategy and accessible to all Business Units. Its main focus is currently on oxygen barrier development, one of the most critical and complex areas in sustainable packaging, but the platform aims also at working on the enhancement of our moisture-vapor barrier solutions
The platform builds on Ahlstrom’s expertise in advanced base papers and barrier coatings. Through extensive testing, we identified strong synergies between our Lamibak Flex base paper and the most advanced coating technologies. This work has allowed us to establish a barrier competency that links barrier performance directly to product shelf life, helping us define the right barrier level for each application while maintaining cost efficiency, recyclability, and converting performance.
BoundlessBarriers also provides a framework for collaboration, enabling customers to explore, test, and co-develop tailored solutions with Ahlstrom’s R&D teams. It is not a single product, but a platform where technology, expertise, and application knowledge converge to create the next generation of fiber-based, functional barrier materials.
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