Tata Steel Netherlands has commissioned a new packaging steel production line. This production line uses Trivalent Chromium Coating Technology (TCCT) technology developed by Tata Steel. TCCT is a sustainable and reliable alternative to conventional tin-free packaging steel.
Packaging steel is recycling champion
Packaging steel is not only safe and sustainable, it also champions recycling. In the Netherlands, more than 95% of packaging steel is recycled into new steel, from food cans to aerosols. For canned food, packaging steel provides many benefits such as long shelf life (even outside the fridge) and therefore less food waste. Thanks to the magnetic properties of steel, steel packaging is easy and cheap to separate from other waste, contributing to a circular economy. Steel cans are therefore the most recycled packaging material.
New technology
Tata Steel has commissioned a new dedicated production line. In the new production line, Tata Steel applies TCCT technology. This technology complies with REACH regulations (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical Substances), is food-safe and suitable for a wide range of packaging applications. Tata Steel's investment in this dedicated high-capacity production line for film production, film lamination and TCCT production means that tinplate manufacturers can simplify their own production process by skipping all the steps associated with lacquering and curing. Tata Steel's new production line has capacity for packaging up to 1220 mm wide.
Safer
"Our TCCT technology makes it possible to produce packaging steel sustainably. With this, it complies with future legislation regarding chemical use (REACH). This is not only good news for our own people, as the work becomes safer, but it also prevents potential environmental damage," says Arne Hoogervorst, Packaging business manager at Tata Steel Netherlands.
Coating
In combination with Protact (polymer-coated packaging steel), Tata Steel Netherlands offers a sustainable solution that meets the strictest food safety standards. Protact is a polymer coating technology that differs from traditionally coated packaging in two important ways: no lacquers are used and the substrate is chromium-VI-free, making it compliant with upcoming REACH legislation. The use of chromium-VI in tin-free steel production does not comply with the new REACH standards that will be introduced in Europe in the coming years. The replacement Trivalent Chromium Coating Technology (TCCT) used in Protact solves this problem.
Production process at customers
The technology also simplifies the production process at Tata Steel customers' premises: no additional coating is needed at the customer's premises. This means lower costs, use of fewer chemicals and a shorter production chain.
Source and photo: Tata Steel
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