Molded Pulp

Molded pulp or molded fiber (also spelled as moulded pulp or moulded fibre) is a packaging material, which is normally made from recycled fibers, is produced in diverse forms and for very varied applications.

Applications: 

  • Food Market: Egg boxes, fruit trays and fast food tableware
  • Industrial Packaging: Container packaging, Fragile goods padding and Electric appliance cushioning
  • Disposable Items: Plates, food containers and hospital containers

A material like molded pulp has endless possibilities

Benefits

  • For many applications, molded pulp is less expensive than expanded polystyrene(EPS), vacuumed formed polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), corrugation, and foams.
  • Molded pulp has similar properties to expanded polystyrene and is therefore a good cushioning material .This not only helps in dunnage, but also helps when using molded pulp as a primary or secondary package, since it has strong protective qualities.
  • If your package is exposed to shock, then the molded pulp package will be capable of absorbing that shock and the product would be protected.
  • Molded pulp is often considered a sustainable packaging material, as defined by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, since it is produced from recycled materials, and can be recycled again after its useful life-cycle.

Production process

Paper and cardboard blends it whit hot water and metal or plastic impurities are removed create the raw material, known as pulp. Afterwards, this pulp obtained can be molded. Water can be removed by pressure applied  and is then completely dried out in a heated mold or oven.

Molded pulp products can be made waterproof with a spray or dip coating of wax.

Alternatively, virgin fibers  can be used to comply with the regulations in the food industry for packaging solutions made from paper.

 

Links
Wikipedia : Molded pulp
The Re-invention of Molded Pulp : by Emily Howe, Rochester Institute of Technology
Fabricación en pulpa moldeada: by CIADICYP

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