Expancel microspheres are used in amongst others bottle corks, as a safe product for contact with wines in US.
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially approved AkzoNobel’s expancel microspheres – which are used in amongst others bottle corks – as a safe product for contact with wines in US.
Part of the company's pulp and performance chemicals business, the innovative and versatile product (expancel FG52 DU 80) has been rapidly growing in popularity with micro-agglomerated wine cork manufacturers, as it helps to overcome some of the weaknesses of traditional cork.
Adding expancel not only results in more consistent performance, it also makes wine corks easier to insert and ensures they mould themselves to form the ideal seal keeping the liquid inside as perfect as possible.
Microspheres are small spherical particles that consist of a thermoplastic shell encapsulating a gas. Add heat and the microspheres expand dramatically, up to 60 times their original volume. Expancel is highly compressible and has an outstanding capacity to return to shape.
"We are happy to receive the FDA's formal approval of expancel as a component of micro-agglomerated cork used for alcoholic beverage bottles," said Sylvia Winkel Pettersson, director of marketing & sales for expancel.
"We are only just beginning to explore the potential of Expancel," added Winkel Pettersson. The opportunities don't stop at cork. For example, its versatility makes it possible to realize innovative ideas for a new generation of packaging and sealing solutions for food products. We definitely have the expertise to take food and beverage packaging even further."
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