MontBlanc repair powder
A 100% titanium dioxide free white from Salchi Metalcoat for the internal protection of the side seals of cans.
Salchi Metalcoat, an Italian company specializing in the production of coatings for the building and packaging industries, has developed a white repair powder completely free of titanium dioxide (TiO2) for the internal protection of the side seam of three-piece food cans.
Inspired by the homonymous Alpine peak, the “MontBlanc” project was created to find an alternative to the titanium dioxide, which has been the subject of European discussions over the past year about its health impact.
Recently, in fact, the European Commission has classified powder mixtures containing ≥1% TiO2, in form or incorporated in particles with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 µm, as H351 (the code refers to “suspected carcinogenic by inhalation”).
In addition, as of October 1, 2021, specific phrases are required on the packaging labels of such mixtures, liquid and solid. It should be noted that TiO2 is used in many industrial sectors (chemical, cosmetic, food, pharmaceutical, etc.) and also for paint production, where it is highly valued as a pigment for both liquid coatings and repair powders.
The results obtained and the advantages
While waiting for the European Commission to better define the limits of the regulations, Salchi took up the challenge, proactively beginning to research a product that, in terms of its hiding power and chemical resistance, would guarantee performance similar to products containing titanium dioxide: an extremely ambitious project, the results of which were by no means to be taken for granted.
It took numerous tests in the company’s laboratories in Burago di Molgora (Italy) to achieve a satisfactory result, which was achieved at the beginning of 2021 thanks to the tireless research and development work of its technicians.
To date, MontBlanc repair powder has been tested and approved by numerous users of Salchi products in Europe and around the world, with more than satisfactory results.
And it is precisely the approvals obtained from customers that have made it possible to start production and marketing of the product, which is supplied using only 100 kg conical metal drums instead of the standard cardboard drums (which means substantial optimization in terms of storage and disposal).
