Graphene Oxide Business Plan Simplified Version

Contact: Donald Kim [email protected] 201-446-5047

GRAPHENE OXIDE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC.

Business Plan

Advanced Coatings for Next Generation Packaging

G.O. Tech, LLC. 2 Business Plan

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................... 3

THE COMPANY ................................................................................................................. 5

PROBLEM STATEMENT .................................................................................................. 5

Food Spoilage Caused by Oxygen Contact ............................................................................. 5

Cost Rising with Falling Margins ........................................................................................... 6

Plastic Waste Issues & Recycling Issues ................................................................................. 7

GRAPHENE OXIDE FILMS AS A SOLUTION ................................................................. 7

High Performance Gas and Liquid Barrier ............................................................................ 7

Extremely Thin, Transparent, and Light Weight ..................................................................... 9

Low Cost .................................................................................................................................. 9

Sustainable Material................................................................................................................ 9

Graphene Oxide - Physical Description ................................................................................ 10

Coating Solution .................................................................................................................... 11

MARKET ANALYSIS ....................................................................................................... 12

Industry Description and Outlook ......................................................................................... 12

Target Markets ...................................................................................................................... 13

Market Competition & Competitive Technology ................................................................... 13

PVdC ...................................................................................................................................... 14

EVOH..................................................................................................................................... 15

Bottom up Technology and Market Research ........................................................................ 15

OPERATIONS ................................................................................................................... 16

Manufacturing and Coating .................................................................................................. 16

Revenue Model ...................................................................................................................... 17

TEAM ................................................................................................................................ 17

Founding Members ................................................................................................................ 18

Advisory Board ...................................................................................................................... 18

COMPANY DEVELOPMENT ROAD MAP .................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

FINANCIALS ................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. Sales Projection ......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Financial Statement ................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Break-Even Analysis .................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

RISKS ................................................................................................................................ 19

REFERENCES: ................................................................................................................. 21

APPENDIX: ....................................................................................................................... 27

I - MARKET – FURTHER ANALYSIS: ............................................................................................ 27

II PACKAGING TYPES. ................................................................................................................. 28

PATENTS IN THE SPACE: ............................................................................................................. 29


Executive Summary

Food products are prone to spoilage and are packaged in materials with good water and gas

barrier properties to prolong the shelf life. However these materials are costly to produce,

difficult to recycle and have certain performance limitations. The food packaging industry

requires a fine balance between cost, convenience, chemical additives and waste to deliver

quality food to the consumers. G.O. Tech stands to change the way the food-packaging world

addresses needs of preservation, storage and waste.

According to the National Resources Defense Council [1]

, 40% of all food produced in the United

States is wasted, amounting to a loss of $165 billion [2].

Spoilage alone is responsible for 20% of

the total food waste. Packaging is critical to the preservation of food in order to prevent the

leading causes of spoilage: bacterial growth, fungal growth, enzyme activity, contact with

oxygen or heat, and light exposure. The poor performance of current packaging solutions

requires the use of preservatives such as sodium in order to compensate for the relatively high

gas permeation rates. The preservatives are generally deleterious to health, promulgating health

issues such as hypertension and cancer.

Graphene Oxide is a carbon-based plate-like material approaching atomic thickness that is one of

the most impermeable materials known to man. Coatings can be applied to different plastic films

in a roll-to-roll process. The coatings are transparent, substantially thinner than all current gas-

barrier coatings and create highly effective gas-impermeable membranes. The non-toxic coatings

are sandwiched between two layers of PET to form the Graphene Oxide Films (GO Film). We

have developed the new low cost packaging material with extremely low Oxygen Transmission

Rates (OTR) to address food spoilage and excessive use of preservatives. GO Films is

biodegradable and will be competing with high-performance barrier materials, a $3.5 billion

market with an annual growth rate of 5%. A particular target will be the meat and cheese

industries with an annual growth of 8% and which requires packaging with extremely low OTR

to achieve acceptable shelf life.

G.O. Tech will be able to offer completely biodegradable barrier films that will be able to serve

the massively growing (10% Compound Annual Growth Rate) bio-based packaging market, a

competitive advantage against the current high value, high performance metal coated barrier

films. The films will be easy to recycle, unlike the multi-layer solutions currently used. GO

Films are capable of reducing packaging weights and costs while offering dramatically improved

performance per unit thickness. Initial test data on prototype materials and further research has

shown that film thicknesses can be reduced by factors of more than 3 times while performance

could be increased by factors of more than 5 times.

The production of the films will require less energy than competitive coatings while still being

competitive on production rates. Achieving large-scale production is facilitated by the fact that

processing can be achieved using existing processing equipment and methods from the food

packaging and industrial coating industries.

G.O. Tech has assembled a strong team of scientists and engineers. The prototype materials have

confirmed the performance advantage and potential for the material for use in food packaging. It


has chosen to partner with a local coating company with 200 years’ experience in roll-to-roll

coating in order to scale the grapheme oxide coating process.

G.O. Tech aims to work with Arkwright and run pilot production in 2014 to 2015 to create initial

revenues. We would like to raise $10,000 as initial investment to achieve the small scale pilot

production capability. This will allow the first volumes of Graphene Oxide solution to be

produced in sufficient quantities to optimize the coating process in conjunction with Arkwright,

and deliver the first product to develop the market. And then, we would like to raise another $2m

in 2014 to prepare for expand our productions, cover our R&D cost and day to day operation

cost. Initially G.O. Tech. aims to sell roll-stock to food packaging partners. Initial penetration

shall be through “maximum-value” channels, which are high-value, luxury food products. This

will allow a cash-flow positive product launch and monthly revenue to fuel product line

expansion while the producers get a better understanding of the advantages. G.O. Tech will be

poised to have a market-leading edge on bulk-production of Graphene Oxide and packaging

products that could pioneer ultra-sustainable food supply methods.


The Company

Graphene Oxide Technologies (G.O. Tech) intends to be an early mover in the Graphene Oxide

(GO) space and commercialize the disruptive Graphene Oxide material by exploiting its several

profitable applications. The company chose to coat GO on plastic films to make better high

performance flexible packaging material. The packaging industry was chosen as an entry market

since it would stand to gain from performance improvement of current products, lower costs, and

environmental and sustainable development. G.O. Tech also plans to diversify into providing

materials for hazardous suits, pharmaceutical applications, construction barriers, and

environmental landfill liners in the future development.

Problem Statement

The problem with any food item is that it spoils; it has a limited shelf life and natural

preservation capacity. Oxygen, light and exposure to the atmosphere cause food to spoil; the

food industry uses packaging and preservatives to solve this issue. Packaging results in waste

generation and preservatives, such as salt, pose health risks to people. The global management

of consumer waste is a costly process, being negligent of this process damages our planet.

Governments who pay for this management are increasingly placing pressure on the producers of

waste to reduce their output into landfills and focus on sustainability. This amount in taxes for

waste generation and management is also huge. The US is looking to cut costs of federal and

state systems and waste management is on the table. The regulation in Europe and Canada with

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation also requests the manufacturers of the

product responsible for the entire life cycle of the product and especially for the take-back,

recycling and final disposal.

The global flexible packaging sector has spawned out of the need for the better management of

food products. The food packaging market addresses the critical issues of food waste, spoilage

and transport while continually striving to make the food safer and the waste to a minimum. This

section will consider three issues related to the food packaging market and how these issues are

of great concern to food producers and packagers in the value chain. Food needs to be delivered

to the consumer safely, in an appealing form and taste and with minimum preservatives.

Food Spoilage Caused by Oxygen Contact

Shelf life is the most critical standard for food preservation. In 2010, America wasted 33.79

million tons of food, which was enough to fill the Empire State Building 91 times. That’s also 16

percent more waste than a decade ago. The average American wastes 209 to 254 lbs. of edible

food each year. About 20% of food wastes are caused by spoilage. Retailers ensure that product

is completely safe and always visually appealing, many foodstuffs, including Meat, Cheese, Fish,

Vegetables and Processed foods are stored in modified or restricted atmospheres that prevent

contact with the environment.

The number one need for bacteria growth is Oxygen and most packaging aims to hinder this

oxygen from the atmosphere, especially for processed meat and cheese products. Fresh meat and

cheese products usually have short shelf life (5-10 days). Preservative number one is to use high

performance packages; isolate the product from Oxygen, water, microorganisms, and store them

in refrigerated or frozen condition. Looking at Table 1, overleaf, taking constant environmental


conditions and using different packaging methods result in a varied array of shelf-life

performance. By using vacuum bags which provide minimum Oxygen contact, the shelf life of

ground beef and hard cheese can be extended to as long as 60 days without any change to

product quality. When using air-permeable overwrap, the shelf life of ground beef can only be 2

to 3 days and 21 to 42 days for hard cheese.

Table 1: Shelf Life (Days under Fridge Condition)

Packaging type Whole Muscle

Beef Ground Beef

Semi-Hard

Cheese

Hard

Cheese

Vacuum Bags 60 – 90 45 – 60 30 – 45 60 – 90

Air-Permeable Overwrap 5 – 7 2 – 3 14 – 20 21 – 42

High Oxygen -MAP 12 – 16 10 – 12 - -

Low Oxygen - MAP 25 – 30 25 – 30 - -

Low Oxygen with CO2 35 28 - -

– Modified atmosphere packaging. See Appendix II for images of packaging types.

Cost Rising with Falling Margins

Packaging manufacturing is a price sensitive and highly competitive industry. Low profit margin

and high-energy cost limit the growth of the current industry. The health of the packaging

industry is linked to that of the world economy as a whole, consumer spending and growth of

new markets. However, reliant upon upstream industries for their raw materials, packaging

converters have to cope with fluctuations in raw material prices, dependent upon levels of supply

and demand. In a climate of low overall inflation, rising prices for raw materials (particularly

plastic resin see Figure 1) have undercut the converter’s territory. Large food processors, brand

owners and retailers constantly look for cheaper and better solutions – driving industry

consolidation. In addition, moves towards central purchasing by packaging buyers have also

impacted upon packaging margins. The packaging producers and plastic film manufacturers are

affected by the oil price, this reliance means that innovation is shifting to bio-based polymers and

alternatives in packaging. Weight and volume per unit of packaged good are literally optimized

to the smallest and lightest packages wherever possible.


Figure 1 - The Relationship of Oil Price & Plastic Resin Price

Plastic Waste Issues & Recycling Issues

Waste recycling is a continually expanding global issue. According to the statistics, there was

around 235 million tons of plastic material produced worldwide in 2011. The largest portion of

which is used as packaging, about 40%[8]

. Overall, U.S. post-consumer plastic waste for 2008

was estimated at 33.6 million tons; 2.2 million tons (6.5%) were recycled and 2.6 million tons

(7.7%) were burned for energy; 28.9 million tons, or 85.5%, were discarded in landfills. [9]

A

plastic bag that is not biodegradable can take up to 400 years to break down. A ton of plastic will

take up almost 7 cubic yards in a landfill.

The recycled plastic products can be reconverted to second-generation plastic products.

However, the second generation can’t be reconverted again and will have to be put in a landfill

or incinerated. Furthermore some critics claim that the environmental impact of the regeneration

process is quite high in terms of energy use and hazardous by-products. Furthermore, the plastic

waste is fatal to animals as thousands of marine animals and more than 1 million birds die each

year as a result of plastic pollution. [10]

Graphene Oxide Films as a Solution

Graphene Oxide (GO) coatings can offer a whole new technology platform for food packaging

solutions. The materials offers traits perfect for the high value, easily spoiled food products such

as meats and cheeses. This section will highlight some of these extraordinary characteristic traits

and how they can directly address the existing food packaging problems.

High Performance Gas and Liquid Barrier

GO barrier has remarkable gas and liquid barrier performance. Tests have shown that the

permeability to all kinds of gas and liquids is extremely low. We know, oxidation, water, light,

warm temperature, microorganisms such as fungi (molds & yeasts), spoilage bacteria, and their

enzymes usually cause and speed the spoilage process. [11]

The oxygen transmission rate (OTR)

is one of the most important standards to evaluate the food packaging performance. Increased


oxygen contact with the food can increase spoilage rates. In order to reduce the spoilage process,

prevention of oxygen contact with food is critical. In comparison with current packaging

materials (Table 2), the GO barrier has the lowest OTR. It is 7 to 10 times better than the current

highest performance material, EVOH. The shelf life of food products is generally correlated to

the effectiveness of the barrier and the sterility of the packaging. (See Table 3). In addition to

oxygen, microorganisms are unable to penetrate the packaging.

Some research papers have even proven that Graphene Oxide is capable of preventing and

slowing bacterial and viral growth.

Table 2: Barrier properties and cost, Competitive Advantage

* The Thickness of the GO Film ranges from 6 to 100 um but the thickness of GO coating is only

a few nanometers thick – depending on the number of GO layers.

Table 3: Shelf –life comparison

Shelf-Life (Days under Fridge Condition)

Packaging type Whole Muscle Beef Ground Beef Semi-Hard Cheese Hard Cheese

GO Coated Vacuum

Bags > 90 > 60 > 45 > 90

Vacuum Bags 60 – 90 45 – 60 30 – 45 60 – 90

Oxygen Transmission Rate

(OTR) (cm3/m

2/24 hours)

Thickness (µm) Cost ($/m2)

GO Film

(10 layers of GO) 0.05 – 0.1 6 – 100* 0.22 – 0.32

Ethylene/Vinyl Alcohol

(EVOH) 0.5 – 0.7 12 – 20 0.20 – 0.50

Polyvinylidene Chloride

(PVdC) 2 – 4 50 – 100 0.18 – 0.42

Polyvinyl Chloride

(PVC) 8 – 25 80 – 800 0.24 – 0.50

Polyethylene

Terephthalate (PET) 100 – 150 8 – 300 0.08 – 0.30

Biaxially Oriented

Polypropylene (BOPP) 300 – 550 20 – 30 0.08 – 0.20


Extremely Thin, Transparent, and Light Weight

The thickness of one GO layer is in the nano-meter range. Therefore, small amounts of GO will

be required to coat large areas of substrate, such as PET without adversely increasing the

thickness. To put this into perspective, a performance barrier the size of a football field,

matching the characteristics of EVOH could be produced from just a few fl. ounces of liquid.

Thus the thickness of packaging is also considerably reduced due to the superior barrier

capabilities of GO Films. Substrates can be chosen according to their strength and the barrier

properties can be managed by the GO coating. This could reduce plastic use by 30% (see Table 2

above). [12]

The coatings can be made on recyclable or biodegradable plastics meaning that

barrier films will be easier to recycle or dispose of, this is especially prevalent when comparing

to multilayer films. The cost of raw materials will drop with the usage change. We can compare

the thickness of GO barriers to current packaging product. GO barriers will allow the thinnest

packaging materials without compromising food safety or strength. Moreover, multi-layer GO is

more than 97% transparent. This has implications for clear-absolute barrier packaging, this space

is lacking in bio-based packaging, and aluminum foil or metallized packaging is opaque.

Low Cost

The cost of GO is only from the production and coating process. The production cost of GO is

around $0.16 per m2 which is including raw materials, equipment, utilities, reagents, and labor.

The coating process will only cost $0.01 per m2. The extreme thickness reduction can reduce the

usage of raw material. GO barriers can save substrate usage and cost since the substrate can now

be chosen independently of its barrier performance. Summarized in Table 2 GO barriers have a

more competitive price range. With mass manufacturing process improvement, the cost of

production will decrease, better low cost methods and reagents will run with constant process

and R&D linked to continual research and development. GO barriers and the methods for

producing them are well understood since the underlying science comes from a few different

incumbent industries; namely coating technology, batch chemical processes and plastic forming

techniques. Massive scale exists in all these industries and thus the combination of technologies

will provide a strong disruptive mixture.

Sustainable Material

According to scientists from Rice University, GO can be considered a sustainable and

environmentally friendly material because the mass production of GO (feedstock for producing

Graphene Oxide films) uses flakes of graphite, which is treated with potassium permanganate,

sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid; by-products are minimized by returning reagents and

maintaining a closed loop process. These materials are inexpensive adding a cost advantage.

There is no toxic or explosive gas evolution during production making it a safe process. [13]

Moreover, according to Brown researchers of GO, the production cost of GO is more energy

efficient than plastic production and metal production. Production of GO only requires 1-2 MJ

per km2. Production of plastics films from crude oil requires 10 to 35 MJ of energy per km

2

comparing to other materials with the same thickness.

In order to reduce the plastic waste, the works we can do not only just reinforce the recycling,

but also we can reduce the usage and production of plastic products by using other more

environmental materials. GO is one of the greatest packaging component materials, which is


made most common elements in the earth-carbon and oxygen, can enhance plastic packaging

performance and reduce the production of plastic.

Graphene Oxide - Physical Description

Graphene Oxide (GO) is an atomically thin (single-layer), two-dimensional sheet material that is

composed of a Carbon mesh with a few other elements. The sheets are usually small in lateral

dimension, about 0.3 to 3 μm. It was discovered early on that they were impermeable in isolation

and if stacked, into membranes of interlocking platelets, could make an impermeable layer on

any substrate. GO is essentially a derivative of the famous Graphene material from a bulk mass

of graphite. Pure graphite is the feedstock to the whole process and is fairly abundant on a global

scale, it must be noted that graphite is not mined in the USA and 51% is imported from China. In

order to mass-separate the Graphene monolayers from a bulk of graphite it is more efficient to

use chemical processes such as intercalation, chemical derivatives, thermal expansion, oxidation-

reduction and the use of surfactants. The steps can be shown in the Figure 2 below:

Figure 2 - Graphene Synthesis

Graphene Oxide is a hydrophilic substance meaning that it has a strong affinity for water,

allowing it to react and readily dissolve in water or other polar solvents. The benefit of this

tendency is that homogeneous solutions of Graphene Oxide can be dispersed onto substrates as a

coating. Currently the Graphene Oxide is “drop cast” onto substrates (these can be anything

from a range of plastics to metals), which are prepared by ionizing for reception of the solution.

The liquid disperses over the surface of the substrate and is dried in air to form a film or barrier

layer. This layer is effectively the high-value gas-impermeable surface that is useful to various

industries. Some of the advantages of Graphene Oxide barriers are listed below.

Graphene Technology Advantages:

The barriers are highly effective and extremely thin compared to equivalent plastics.

Each interlocking layer of Graphene Oxide platelets creates a tortuous path for molecule

diffusion. The layers are stable up to temperatures of 300°C and will only reduce to

Graphene and Hydrogen at higher temperatures. [14]

The material does not pose a fire risk

while in solution or once pure solution is coated.


Synthesis is a well-known process that can be scaled and has a cheap feedstock;

(Graphite), furthermore the synthesis process can result in a range of grades of product.

The material could be cast onto substrates in aqueous, non-harmful, low energy

processes. These are highly beneficial over the complicated barrier processes of co-

extrusion or vacuum vapor deposition.

The material would not damage the environment on decomposition.

The technology is a platform for many derivative products and markets.

The product prototype design is called VUCC-1 (Figure 3) is a new packaging composite for

meat and cheese preservation. The structure of the film is similar to co-extruded films, which

has a PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) or BOPP (Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene) film as

a base layer in contact with the food. This layer would also prevent the transport of water

vapor the second layer would be a film consisting of 10 layers of Graphene Oxide to prevent

oxygen or gas transfer. On the top of the Graphene Oxide, there is another plastic layer for

dyeing. PET or PP surfaces are compatible with current printing techniques.

Figure 3 - Design and flexible packaging solution

Coating Solution

Our processing partner is Arkwright. Arkwright’s

business is to develop, coat, convert and market


papers, films and other media for digital imaging. Their coating technology is capable of coating

large reels of plastic film or paper. The firm has 200 years of manufacturing experience and a

staff of development engineers and machine operators with years of experience. Their capability

may not be focused on coating for large-scale production but the firm has the capability to

develop unique coating solutions, this will be critical in scaling the coating process with GO

solutions.

The process that is most relevant for the application of GO solutions is the Slot Die coating

(Figure 4). This process involves running the coating solutions through a slot in contact with a

roll of substrate, as the substrate pulls past the flowing fluid it generates a cohesive surface layer.

The moisture layer is then cured or dried, much like casting Graphene oxide in a lab, leaving a

uniform surface coating. The figure below shows the deposition stage of the process, which is

done on a roll-to-roll basis.

This technology of a unique new coating medium (Graphene Oxide) is well positioned to be co-

developed with Arkwright. Extensive cross sharing of knowledge will allow rapid expansion of

the knowledge base required to commercialize the coating. The hope is the co-development can

lead to patentable formulations and coating methods.

Market Analysis

Industry Description and Outlook

The food packaging market is broadly diversified and complex. The packaging material types are

usually chosen based on moisture barrier properties, opacity, strength, rigidity, aromatic barriers,

oxygen transmissivity, sealability, printing or laminating receptivity. Though cost is a driving

factor, certain features cannot be compromised that leads to an industry shift towards advanced

materials and newer formulations of plastics.

The plastic packaging films and sheets manufacturing market is estimated to be $9.89 billion and

has an annual growth rate of 2.3%. [14]

The high performance sheet and bag market is a

portion of this, around $3.5 billion. The total industry size was 18 million tons in 2011. This

value incorporates, flexible packaging, rigid plastics, board packaging and metal packaging.

Profit margins are low in food packaging industry; particularly in those segments where there is

a small value add. Industry profit margins have actually increased due to labor cuts and lower

total wages. The average profit margin is 5.9% of revenue in 2011. [15]

Despite increases in resin

prices and foreign competition, growing revenue and demand for industry products will allow

margins to remain relatively unchanged. By 2017, industry profit margins are expected to reach

about 5.3% of revenue. The high price of polymers is driving customers towards thinner films.

The drivers of the growing flexible packaging market are the following: Performance (better

barriers), Environment – biodegradables and Functions - MAP, CAP Packaging,

Nanotechnology, New categories in beverages, improved convenience.

Figure 4- Slot Die Coating Process


Target Markets

Looking at the global packaging end-use markets the meat, fish and poultry market make up

roughly 11% of the Packaging markets. This sector is expected to see the largest Compound

Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) up to 8%. The top six sectors, Meats, Confectionery, Baked

Goods, Pharmaceuticals, Dried foods and cheese/dairy occupy about 54% of the flexible

packaging market. Sectors that are increasingly looking to High Barrier materials are the meats,

cheeses, ready meals, pharmaceuticals and beverages. This reinforces that the highest forecast

growth rates are for high-barrier flexible packaging materials.

Market Competition & Competitive Technology

In the flexible film and sheet market the industry’s four biggest players that account for a

combined market share of 22.6% in 2011. There are roughly 1000 companies in the US who

produce plastic film and sheet. [17]

The biggest player is Bemis Company Inc. Bemis holds a

9.3% share of the market with the top 10 players taking up 40.2% of the film and sheet market.

Bemis had film and sheet sales of roughly $3.5B and total Revenues of $5.3B. [18]

Refer to the

Appendix I for a summary of these companies. There are 6 public companies in the top ten and

Bemis, DuPont and Sealed Air Corp have an extended array of competitive fronts, offering more

than simply films and sheets of plastic. DuPont, with total Revenues of $38B is the most

diversified, stretching deep in to the supply chain. DuPont supplies resin materials to many of the

other manufacturers. The concentration in this industry is low. Within the food packaging

industry, there are relatively low levels of foreign ownership of US establishments and US

ownership of foreign establishments, and low to medium levels of exports and imports. The

technology development is very important for current manufacturers, but the technology is

changing at a very slow pace. It has been more than 7 years since the last major technology


update. The technology development is focusing on how to reduce cost of production, fast

production, and high quality product development.

The main competitors for our product in the food packaging industry are other high performance

flexible films, such as plastic films, metalized plastic films, and other multi-material

combinations. Plastics’ great properties including versatility, low cost, various sharps, and ease

to produce has made it a basic material for manufacturing and packaging. As mentioned early, in

meat and cheese industry, the need for longer shelf life is extremely high. The solution for it is a

material, which can extend shelf life and reduce the oxygen transmission rate, which is the basic

factor for the spoilage. Therefore, some food packaging companies are developing new plastic

materials and technologies to solve it. These new materials and technology is also GO’s potential

competitors.

Table 2 above shows the major plastic flexible films as food packaging, especially for meat and

cheese industry. Among those, Ethylene/Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH) and Polyvinylidene Chloride

(PVdC) are two major high performances packaging materials (Figure 5). Polyvinyl Chloride

(PVC), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), and Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) are

most sold low performance packaging materials with extremely low cost.

Figure 5 – Value share of barrier packaging materials

Compared with other materials, PVdC and EVOH have lower OTR and are considered as

excellent oxygen barriers especially for products that have high requirements for the prevention

of gas and liquid.

PVdC

Polyvinylidene chloride (PVdC) is used principally in clear, flexible, and impermeable plastic

food wrap. The outstanding property of PVdC is its low permeability to water vapor and gases—

making it ideal for food packaging. Copolymers of vinylidene chloride and other monomers are

also marketed and the best known is Saran. Saran was introduced by the Dow Chemical

Company in 1939 and is still a widely used transparent food wrap.

PVDC (Extrusion + Coating)

49%

EVOH 21%

Nylon 20%

MET PP 6%

MET PET 2%

Other 2%

Value share, polymer based barrier packaging films


Although PVdC has some outstanding attributes, there are some drawbacks we have to face.

Firstly, the material has a higher cost than other packaging material. In packaging industry, cost

is extremely sensitive as there are a lot of substitutes. The higher cost may sometimes make it

unattractive for the customers. Secondly, it has limited resistance to light and heat and the

material is sensitive and not stable. Finally, which is the most serious, PVdC is environmentally

unfriendly and it is hard to be recycled. When the degradation occurs, the byproducts, hydrogen

chloride causes many additional problems. In addition, there is chlorine generation during

sealing. There is roughly the same amount of chlorine in one gram of PVdC as there is in a gram

of common table salt. For example, the hot dogs inside the package contain 9 times more

chlorine and one hot dog being thrown away would contribute more chlorine to the waste stream

than the whole PVDC containing package.

EVOH

EVOH (ethyl vinyl alcohol) has outstanding barrier properties to gases such as oxygen, nitrogen,

carbon dioxide and helium. With a very low permeability to oxygen, EVOH films prevent goods,

mainly foods and pharmaceutical products, to be deteriorated by contact with O2. Due to their

excellent barrier qualities, EVOH films are widely used with controlled atmosphere packaging,

modified atmosphere packaging and vacuum packing.

EVOH also has some problems that cannot be ignored. It has a high price like PVdC. In addition,

EVOH is lack of stretch ability at temperatures lower than approximately 100-150 ˚ C. As a

consequence, cracks can form in the barrier layer during orientation of coextruded structures. It

is particularly hygroscopic with limited low temperature stretching properties and has a high

degree of rigidity that can be a problem in flexible packaging. EVOH loses oxygen barrier

rapidly as ambient humidity increases

Bottom up Technology and Market Research

We undertook both top-down and bottom-up market research to understand the current food

industry and packaging market. According to our Chief Technical Officer, Professor Robert

Hurt, we understand the excellent gas and liquid impermeability of the Graphene Oxide film.

Our advisor, Dr. Fei Guo estimated the production cost as $2 to produce 0.3 gram Graphene

Oxide that can coat 15 m2 (around 25 nano-meter thickness). Total cost will decrease

dramatically by manufacturing on a large scale. After an on-site visit to Arkwright headquarters,

we believe the technology that Arkwright has can satisfy the coating requirements that Graphene

Oxide asked.

Speaking with Joel Bittner, the president at Plastic Film Corporation (PFC), we found the meat

and cheese production and wholesaling requires the largest quantity of high-quality plastic films.

It requires about 26% of overall because meat and cheese have the shortest shelf life compared to

other food products. Low oxygen transmission rate packaging is required to extend its shelf life.

From a phone interview with Tom Goldy, Commercial Sales Manager from BioGroupUSA, we

found out that the global synthetic and biodegradable plastics market was worth $2.3 billion (in

2011). The growth rate is as high as 19.5%. [16] However the biodegradable plastic bags are still

2 to 3 times the cost of polyethylene and thus grocery stores are not buying these products. Tom

also mentioned that adoption of these kinds of materials can be strongly influenced by

regulations on a State and National level. Some of the more progressive cities (San Francisco,


Seattle and Portland) have restructured their garbage hauling contracts and implemented

industrial composting.

Operations

Manufacturing and Coating

The business is hoping to center its operations in R.I. The state is well positioned for the food

packaging industry, having access to the largest east coast markets. Furthermore our partnering

company, Arkwright is based in Fiskerville, R.I. The company is actively looking to diversify

into other products as digital media is rapidly replacing photographic paper. Therefore

developing and manufacturing GO Films is critical to make sure the company opens new

revenue channels.

The Laboratory for Environmental and Health Nanoscience at Brown University has IP on

Graphene Oxide manufacture, packaging designs, and the final packaging film. G.O. Tech will

obtain an exclusive license for this technology from Brown University and work with the

laboratory to scale the production process and build a facility to produce GO in-house.

By contracting with Arkwright, which is an International film coating company located in Rhode

Island, G.O. Tech will supply them Graphene Oxide and develop unique coating technology with

Arkwright to make high performance GO packaging and patent the coating technology.

According to customer’s requirements, G.O. Tech and Arkwright will customize the

specification of GO coating and make different GO Film products.

Arkwright’s business is to develop, coat, convert and market papers, films and other media for

digital imaging. Their coating technology is capable of coating large reels of plastic film or

paper. The firm has 200 years of manufacturing experience and a staff of development engineers

and machine operators with years of experience. Arkwright has ISO9001 and 14001 registered

sites and services computer printer, plotter, and copier supplies markets throughout the world.

Arkwright manufactures and distributes products locally; has a European distribution center

located in Duren, Germany. Their capability may not be focused on coating for large-scale

production but the firm has the capability to develop unique coating solutions, this will be critical

in scaling the coating process with Graphene Oxide solutions. The company owns three

machines that deal with the bulk of the processing and a smaller pilot machine that is used for

pilot projects and new product development.

Their properties are defined by the coating thickness, color gamut, gloss, matte, and satin. Each

coating has specific viscosities and application conditions such as feed rate, gap distance, and

drying temperature. The coatings typically have a base receptive layer and can be aqueous or

solvent based. Typically coating is done on Wide-Format reels and the coated substrates can then

be cut into smaller sheets or reel widths in the finishing area.

The process that is most relevant for the application of Graphene Oxide solutions is the Slot Die

coating. This process involves running the coating solutions through a slot in contact with a roll

of substrate, as the substrate pulls past the flowing fluid it generates a cohesive surface layer. The

moisture layer is then cured or dried, much like casting Graphene oxide in a lab, leaving a

uniform surface coating. This technology of a unique new coating medium (Graphene Oxide) is

well positioned to be co-developed with Arkwright. Extensive cross sharing of knowledge will


allow rapid expansion of the knowledge base required to commercialize the coating. The hope is

the co-development can lead to patentable formulations and coating methods.

Revenue Model

Our suppliers and customers are businesses, in the other words, we are a B2B company. We will

purchase natural graphite from graphite manufacturers and produce Graphene Oxide in our own

facilities. At the early stage of our development, we will work with Arkwright to make GO

packaging rolls and sell them to food processing companies. These companies purchase

packaging products seasonally or monthly. They pack their products and sell to retailers such as

supermarkets and restaurants.

In our entry market (the flexible packaging market), we will use a small and skilled sale force to

sell our products directly to meat and cheese processing companies. We will design the product

to meet the requirements of each customer. According to their requirements, we will make, test

and ship the product. The price of product will be unit cost plus 15% profits. We will provide

complementary design and test services to our customers.

G.O. Tech R&D department will gather film requirements from each individual customer, and

customize GO Film to meet their requirements. Customizations include thickness, tensile

strength, clarity, WVTR, and OTR. As a GO Film wholesaler, G.O. Tech will sell bulk GO

coated flexible film roll to flexible packaging manufacturing companies, such as Sealed Air and

Tetra Pak. The flexible packaging manufacturing companies will further process the GO Film,

such as cutting, shaping, and printing, to produce final packages required by the meat and cheese

companies.

A sales force is necessary to popularize GO Film and clearly communicate its benefits to our

customers. The sales will be focused on end-uses where progressive food companies want to

offer a more sustainable product and emphasize less use of preservatives. The product is cheaper,

has better performance, and is more environmental friendly. This is a better solution with greater

advantages than the current technology.

Building long-term good customer relationship is significant to our business since this is not a

one-time sale. We can sell the same or advanced product to repeat customers over a long term

according to their business performance and needs. Customers in the packaging industry usually

purchase packaging films in bulk either seasonal or monthly. The able to meet the demand and

have a stable supply is a key element to our business.

During future expansion G.O. Tech working with Arkwright will produce final packaging

products in-house and sell the products to food processing companies directly. By cutting off the

middleman, viz. the packaging manufacturer, the cost of GO packaging will drop. Once G.O.

Tech has a stable GO packaging business, we can expand to other food products, such as fruits,

vegetables, drinks, and snacks. Packaging for pharmaceuticals is also another expansion option

to help it extent the shelf life.

Team

G.O. Tech consists of three founding members and an advisory board. A brief profile of each

member is listed below.


Founding Members

Donald Kim (CEO) graduated from Brown University with Bachelor of Arts in

Economics and is a current student at Brown University studying Master of Science in

Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship. Donald has garnered valuable experience

working in food industry working with Boars Head particularly in operations in

distribution. His solid economic knowledge and the experience in sales and marketing

made him a reliable member in the team who mainly focuses on marketing strategy,

marketing research and the competitive analysis.

Robert Hurt (CTO) received his Ph.D. from MIT and before joining Brown held

positions in the Central Research and Development Division of Bayer AG in Leverkusen,

Germany, and at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, California. He currently

serves as PI on the GAANN training grant "Interdisciplinary Training in the Applications

and Implications of Nanotechnology", and is the Director of Brown's Institute for

Molecular and Nanoscale Innovation.

Chenyu Lin (COO) graduated from Syracuse University with B.S. in Information

Management & Technology. Chenyu is a current student at Brown University studying

Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship. Chenyu brings his marketing experience

to the table. As an intern he did market research for eSavV Technology for about a year.

This is his second entrepreneurial venture, as he was part of the founding team of an

online social calendar.

Advisory Board

(Preliminary board, advisory commitments still to be confirmed)

Fei Guo is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Chemical

Engineering at MIT. He received his Ph.D. from Brown University in 2012. His work

involves the creation and application of carbon-based materials through solution

processing, nano-encapsulation, high-performance barriers for environmental toxicants,

lithium-ion battery, and the development of novel electrospun fiber membranes. He was

awarded the Brian Kelly Award by the British Carbon Group in 2012 for his work on the

Graphene based environmental barriers.

Patrick McHugh obtained his PhD in Business at Bentley University in 2012 and an

MBA from Harvard Business School in 1987. He is currently the director of the IE-

Brown Executive MBA and Lecturer, School of Engineering. He is also an

entrepreneurship researcher in Brown University. Prior to his academic career, he

successfully led a number of high tech ventures.

Eric Suuberg got his PhD in Chemical Engineering at MIT and has been at Brown since

1981, when he was one of the founding members of Brown's Chemical Engineering

program. His research interests have been in the areas of energy and environmental

engineering. He has served as Associate Dean of the Faculty (2002-2005) and as a

member of the Executive Committee of the Division of Engineering. He is currently Co-

Director of the Superfund Basic Research Program, and a co-founder of the COE

concentration.

Jason Harry, PhD is a successful serial medical device entrepreneur and is currently

CEO of Lucidux, which is an early-stage medical device company developing advanced


imaging technologies for minimally invasive surgery. Previously, he was founder and

CEO of Afferent Corporation, which focused on neuro-stimulation technologies to treat

chronic dysfunction stemming from stroke, aging, and diabetes. Prior to founding

Afferent, he was VP of Research Engineering at NMT Medical, Inc., Boston, MA, a

company in the field of minimally invasive cardiovascular implants.

Danny Warshay is a successful serial entrepreneur and Adjunct professor at Brown. He

has served on the Boards of numerous startups and has experience working in the food

industry with Proctor & Gamble. He is the founder and managing director of DEW

ventures and is also the Executive chairman of G-Form.

Angus Kingon, PhD is the Director of Entrepreneurship and Organizational Studies at

Brown University. He brings knowledge as a chemist and materials processing specialist,

as well as an entrepreneur and entrepreneurship educator, who has supported the

formation and early growth of dozens of technology ventures, creating several thousand

new jobs.

Risks

There are four current major risks for G.O. Tech beside financial issues and product development

difficulties. Detailed solution for each risk depends on sales performance, manufacturing design,

patent negotiation, and government organization requirements. Those risks are

1. Existing chemical companies might venture into the space before us.

Graphene Oxide is an exciting new material that is spawning a host of new industry

research and focus. It is clearly closely linked to the Graphene industry as it can be

converted to Graphene. G.O. Tech. can be a company that incorporates this into our

strategy. We wish to be the first mover on the commercialization of G.O. in packaging,

while scaling production of the material. The revenues generated from the packaging

solutions will allow re-invested capital to advance into the derivative products. G.O. is a

platform and as the company grows, we want to be benchmarking the way into new

markets.

2. Manufacturing process and product design take longer than expected, technology

difficulty may emerge. There is an inherent technology risk. We have analyzed the

current uses and commercial applications of G.O. and feel that the technology is

definitely on a path into various industries, namely electronics. The material may have

applicability in the food packaging space now but with increasing demand of flake

graphite from the electronics manufacturers our own production line may have to divest

the coating and begin bulk GO solution wholesale. Our financial projections have taken

this into account.

3. High patent licensing cost. The patent licensing cost can also be structured favorably

since all the entrepreneurs are from Brown and the patent holder, Prof. Robert Hurt is on

our team. G.O. Tech should have an agreement with Brown University to use the

technology from patent protection.

4. FDA and USDA inspection procedure cost and time. Unlike FDA approval for medical

devices, which take several years, the FDA process for Graphene oxide, which is

classified as a non-contact food substance will take about 3 months to 6 months. USDA

food safety inspection requires proper packaging helps maintain quality and prevent

freezer burn. It is safe to freeze meat or poultry directly in its original packaging,


however this type of wrap is permeable to air and quality may diminish over time. The

inspection process is also about 3 to 6 months.


References:

[1] Gunders, Dana. "Wasted: How America is losing up to 40 percent of its food from farm

to fork to landfill." Natural Resources Defense Council. Issues–Food and Agriculture.

http://www. nrdc. org/food/files/wasted-food-IP. pdf (Page consultée le 6 janvier 2013)

(2012).

[2] J. Buzby, and J. Hyman. “Total and per capita value of food loss in the United States”,

Food Policy, 37(2012):561-570.

[3] "Resource Conservation - Food Waste | Wastes | US EPA." 2011. 8 Apr. 2013

<http://www.epa.gov/foodrecovery/>

[4] "2010 Facts and Figures Fact Sheet (PDF) - US Environmental ..." 2012. 8 Apr. 2013

<http://www.epa.gov/wastes/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/msw_2010_rev_factsheet.pdf>

[5] "Market Statistics and Future Trends in Global Packaging - World ..." 2008. 8 Apr. 2013

<http://www.worldpackaging.org/publications/documents/market-statistics.pdf>

[6] "Food Preservation Through Packaging Innovation." 2011. 8 Apr. 2013

<http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/food-preservation-through-packaging-

innovation>

[7] Palar, Kartika, and Roland Sturm. "Potential societal savings from reduced sodium

consumption in the US adult population." American Journal of Health Promotion 24.1

(2009): 49-57.

[8] Plastics – The Facts 2012; An Analysis Of European Plastics Production; Demand And

Waste Data For 2011, PlasticsEurope, 2012

[9] "What Happens to All That Plastic? - State of the Planet - Columbia ..." 2012. 8 Apr.

2013 <http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/01/31/what-happens-to-all-that-plastic/>

[10] "Plastic Bag Facts - Envirosax." 2009. 8 Apr. 2013

<http://www.envirosax.com/plastic_bag_facts>

[11] "A4 FOOD SPOILAGE AND PRESERVATION ... - MsC-Technology." 2010. 8

Apr. 2013 <http://msc-

technology.wikispaces.com/file/view/A4+Food+spoilage+%26+preservation.pdf>

[12] Graphene-Based Environmental Barriers, Fei Guo, Gregory Silverberg, Shin

Bowers, Sang-Pil Kim, Dibakar Datta, Vivek Shenoy, and Robert H. Hurt,

Environmental Science & Technology 2012 46 (14), 7717-7724

[13] Daniela C. Marcano, Dmitry V. Kosynkin, Jacob M. Berlin, Alexander Sinitskii,

Zhengzong Sun, Alexander Slesarev, Lawrence B. Alemany, Wei Lu, and James M. Tour

, Improved Synthesis of Graphene Oxide, ACS Nano 2010 4 (8), 4806-4814

[14] "The Future of Packaging in North America to 2017 - Smithers Pira." 2012. 20

Mar. 2013 <https://www.smitherspira.com/future-of-packaging-in-north-america-to-

2017.aspx>

[15] Pira Futures Forecast - Plastic Packaging, 2011, Proceedings of the Pira

Packaging Summit, Pira International, Nice, France

[16] "Global synthetic and bio-based biodegradable plastics market to ..." 2013. 8 Apr.

2013 <http://us.industrysourcing.com/articles/258127.aspx>

[17] "Plastic Film, Sheet & Bag Manufacturing in the US ... - IBISWorld." 2006. 13

Apr. 2013 <http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/default.aspx?indid=509>

http://www.epa.gov/foodrecovery/

http://www.epa.gov/wastes/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/msw_2010_rev_factsheet.pdf

http://www.worldpackaging.org/publications/documents/market-statistics.pdf

http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/food-preservation-through-packaging-innovation

http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/food-preservation-through-packaging-innovation

http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/01/31/what-happens-to-all-that-plastic/

http://www.envirosax.com/plastic_bag_facts

http://msc-technology.wikispaces.com/file/view/A4+Food+spoilage+%26+preservation.pdf

http://msc-technology.wikispaces.com/file/view/A4+Food+spoilage+%26+preservation.pdf

https://www.smitherspira.com/future-of-packaging-in-north-america-to-2017.aspx

https://www.smitherspira.com/future-of-packaging-in-north-america-to-2017.aspx

http://us.industrysourcing.com/articles/258127.aspx

http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/default.aspx?indid=509


[18] "Film Sheet - Rankings - Plastics News." 2013. 15 Apr. 2013

<http://www.plasticsnews.com/rankings/film-sheet>

[19] "Patent US20120288693 - Flexible barrier packaging derived from ..." 2012. 7

Apr. 2013 <http://www.google.com/patents/US20120288693>

[20] "Patent US8367173 - Degradable sachets for developing markets ..." 2013. 7 Apr.

2013 <http://www.google.com/patents/US8367173>

[21] "Patent EP2554568A2 - Polyimide nanocomposite and method for ..." 2013. 7

Apr. 2013 <http://www.google.com/patents/EP2554568A2?cl=en>

[22] "Patent US20120315407 - High-strength lightweight fabric for ..." 2012. 8 Apr.

2013 <http://www.google.com/patents/US20120315407>

[23] "Nano-coatings for articles - Patents.com." 2012. 8 Apr. 2013

<http://patents.com/us-20120202047.html>

[24] “Global and China Biodegradable Plastics Industry Growth,Size,Share 2012 -

2015 New Study Published” 2013. 11. April,

<http://chinamarketreports.blogspot.com/2013/04/global-and-china-biodegradable-

plastics.html>

http://www.plasticsnews.com/rankings/film-sheet

http://www.google.com/patents/US20120288693


http://www.google.com/patents/EP2554568A2?cl=en


http://patents.com/us-20120202047.html

http://chinamarketreports.blogspot.com/2013/04/global-and-china-biodegradable-plastics.html

http://chinamarketreports.blogspot.com/2013/04/global-and-china-biodegradable-plastics.html


APPENDIX:

I - Market – Further Analysis:

The flexible packaging market has a host of end-use applications. These are effectively industries

that use the materials to package consumer goods. A research report by Pira [14] can be

summarized by the graphs below. Effectively, The Meat, Fish and Poultry industries are the

largest consumers of flexible packaging at 12.5% of the end-use. Furthermore Figure 2 shows

that the end-use in that sector is expected to grow at 8% CAGR.

Figure 1 - Global End-Use Projections - Flexible Packaging

Company: Location:

Film & Sheet Sales: Total Revenues: Employees Public Market

($ Million) 2011: 2011

Share

Bemis Co. Inc. Neenah, WI $3,550 $5,300 20,165 Yes 9.34%

Sigma Plastics

Group

Lyndhurst,

NJ $2,450 $2,500 5000 No 6.45%

Berry Plastics

Corp.

Evansville,

IN $1,660 $4,560 15,000 Yes 4.37%

Intelplast Group

Livingston,

NJ $1,500 $1,500 3,500 No 3.95%

Sealed Air Corp.

Elmwood

Park, NJ $1,365 $8,200 20,000 Yes 3.59%

DuPont Co.

Wilmington,

DE $1,300 $38,000 65,000 Yes 3.42%

AEP Industries

Inc.

South

Hackensack,

NJ $996 $996 2,600 Yes 2.62%

Printpack Inc. Atlanta, GA $995 $1,200 800 No 2.62%

Poly One, Clayton, MO $750 $2,900 2600 Yes 1.97%

Glad -Products Co. Oakland, CA $715 $800 2600 No 1.88%

TOTAL:

$15,281 $65,956 137,265 6 40.21%

Figure 2 – Plastic film and sheet manufacturers USA. 2011 Data.


II Packaging types.

a) Modified atmosphere packages1

b) Film rollstock2

c) Containers with lidding films3

d) Stand up pouches 4

e) Convenience Packs5

Figure 3 – Various flexible packaging types

1 "MAP Resources - Modified Atmosphere Packaging." 2012. 12 Apr. 2013

<http://www.modifiedatmospherepackaging.com/Modified-atmosphere-packaging-resources> 2 "Shrink Film Importer, Shrink Films - ฟิล์มหด." 12 Apr. 2013

<http://www.ฟิล์มหด.net/product/Shrink+Film+Importer/Shrink+Film+Importer+Shrink+Films+34259.html>

3 "MarvelPeel® Lidding Film Food Film and Packaging Berry Plastics ..." 2011. 12 Apr. 2013

<http://www.berryplastics.com/catalog/products/foodfilm/liddingfilm>

4 "Stand-Up Pouches: Maco Bag." 2008. 12 Apr. 2013 <http://www.macobag.com/pouches/stand-up-

pouches.php>

5 "Single-Portions Cup Form, Fill and Seal Machine | FFS ... - Oystar." 2011. 12 Apr. 2013

<http://www.oystar-group.com/cup-filling/portion-packs/thl-series.html>

http://www.modifiedatmospherepackaging.com/Modified-atmosphere-packaging-resources

http://www.ฟิล์มหด.net/product/Shrink+Film+Importer/Shrink+Film+Importer+Shrink+Films+34259.html

http://www.berryplastics.com/catalog/products/foodfilm/liddingfilm

http://www.macobag.com/pouches/stand-up-pouches.php

http://www.macobag.com/pouches/stand-up-pouches.php

http://www.oystar-group.com/cup-filling/portion-packs/thl-series.html


Patents in the Space:

The field of Graphene research and its pre-cursors or modified compounds has given an open

platform for new materials and process patents. Much of the focus has been on the electrical

applications of Graphene and Graphene Oxide, however some structural and barrier-type patents

have been explored. These patents appear to be coming from a mixture of universities and

companies.

1) Flexible barrier packaging derived from renewable resources

US 20120288693 A1 This patent effectively describes a multi-layer extruded and laminated flexible packaging

material that is free of virgin, petroleum-based compounds. The material is effectively

85% bio-based and includes a barrier layer that is between the first tie layer and an outer

substrate.

The figure below shows the composition:

Figure 4 - Barrier layer, flexible packaging, patent example

This patent does refer to the use of a barrier layer that could take the form of many

gas/liquid barrier materials. Some mentioned are the bio-based PGA, (bio-polyglycolic

acid), metalized polymers, filler-modified polymers (including fillers such as Graphene

Oxide, nanoclay, mica, silica, glass flakes etc) What is critical here is that the barrier

layer is specifically mentioned as a collection of existing coatings, polymers or

metallized finishes. The use of Graphene Oxide as a coating in a similar structure would

mean that this patent has not encompassed the coating option.

2) Degradable sachets for developing markets

US 8367173 B2

This patent addresses the design and structure of sachets that can bio-degrade to 1mm

sized pieces in the space of two years, exposed to water and microorganisms. The sachets

are designed to contain consumer toiletries and have a moisture vapor transmission rate

(MVTR) of less than 10 g/m2/day at 37° C. and 90% relative humidity. The barrier layer

is, again, chosen from a selection of barrier solutions such as metal oxides, nanoclay and


graphene oxide filler. These are included in the sealant layer but are not specifically

mentioned as a coating. The bio-plastics used is PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoate).

3) Polyimide nanocomposite and method for preparing same

EP 2554568 A2

This is a polyimide composite that contains graphene oxide nanosheets. The blended

polymer may have modified characteristics that are useful to certain applications. This

type of patent does not extend to flexible packaging, however the inclusion of Graphene

Oxide in various forms in Polymer matrices is increasingly seeing attention in various

research institutions.

4) High-strength lightweight fabric for inflatable structures

US 20120315407 A1

This patent is specifically focused on an air-impervious material that is fabric-based and

has a resin coating. The resin contains Graphene and Graphene Oxide nano-platelets that

are dispersed evenly; furthermore a phosphorous-based flame-retardant is added to the

resin. It appears that this material has been designed for the escape slide of an airplane.

The Figure 5 below comprises of a Nylon fabric base (62), a low modulus air-retention

(AR) tie coat (64) and a higher modulus AR top coat (66) and a heat resistant base coat

(68) The AR coatings are specifically described as containing Graphene and Graphene

Oxide.

Figure 5 - High strength, lightweight fabric for inflatable structures.

5) Nano-coatings for articles

US 20120202047 A1

This patent will need to be considered since it refers to a broad range of “nano-coatings”

specifically mentioning Graphene or Graphene Oxide nano-platelets. This patent is

specific for the protection of rubber or plastic parts in “down-hole” environments in the

oil, gas, geothermal, undersea or gas-sequestration industries.

Documents

Graphene Oxide Business Plan Simplified Version