Fiber-based food containers
Methods and apparatus for manufacturing a microwavable food container include: forming a wire mesh over a mold comprising a mirror image of the microwavable food container; immersing the wire mesh in a fiber-based slurry bath; drawing a vacuum across the wire mesh to cause fiber particles to accumulate at the wire mesh surface; and removing the wire mesh including the accumulated fiber particles from the slurry bath; wherein the slurry comprises one or more of a moisture barrier, an oil barrier, and a vapor barrier.
1. A food container obtained by:
creating a fiber-based slurry, the fiber-based slurry comprising fiber-based pulp containing a moisture barrier component in the range of 1%-10% by weight;
wherein seme at least a portion of the moisture barrier component is absorbed in the fibers; forming a mesh in the shape of a mold corresponding to the shape of the food container; immersing the mesh in the fiber-based slurry;
drawing a vacuum across the mesh to cause fiber particles from the fiber-based slurry to accumulate at the mesh surface; and
removing the mesh and the accumulated fiber particles from the fiber-based slurry;
drying the accumulated fiber particles to remove moisture, where the dried accumulated fiber particles form the food container;
spraying at least one of a topical oil barrier coating and a topical vapor barrier coating to a surface of the food container, and wherein,
the fiber-based slurry further comprises a dye absorption agent comprising one of salt and soda ash; wherein at least a portion of the dye absorption agent is absorbed in the fibers.
2. The food container of claim 1 , wherein the fiber-based slurry includes a moisture barrier component in the range of about 4%.
3. The food container of claim 1 , wherein the moisture barrier component comprises alkyl ketene dimer (AKD).
4. The food container of claim 1 , wherein the moisture barrier component comprises long chain diketenes.
5. The food container of claim 1 ,
wherein the fiber-based slurry further comprises a coloring agent comprising one of a cationic dye and a fiber reactive dye;
wherein seme at least a portion of the coloring agent is absorbed in the fibers.
6. The food container of claim 1 , further comprising processing the mesh having the accumulated fiber particles in one of a wet or dry process.
7. The food container of claim 1 ,
wherein the fiber-based slurry further comprises a starch component in the range of 1%-7% by weight;
wherein seme at least a portion of the starch component is absorbed in the fibers.
8. The food container of claim 7 , wherein the starch component comprises a cationic liquid starch.
9. The food container of claim 7 , wherein the starch component comprises modified polyamines.
10. The food container of claim 7 , wherein the starch component forms both hydrogen and ionic bonds with fibers.
11. The food container of claim 7 , wherein the starch component comprises a polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE) resin.
12. The food container of claim 1 , wherein the oil barrier coating comprises a water-based emulsion.
13. The food container of claim 12 , wherein the oil barrier coating is in the range of 0.5%-10% of the weight of the food container.
14. The food container of claim 13 , wherein the vapor barrier comprises a copolymer composition.