Scientists and brewers seek to prolong the shelf life of beer in plastic bottles
SABMiller has partnered with the scientists at the centre for research on adaptive nanostructures and nanodevices (CRANN) to develop a material to prolong the shelf life of beer in plastic bottles.
Currently, plastic bottles allow both oxygen and carbon dioxide to pass through them, resulting in flavourless, flat beer.
The material, when added to plastic bottles, will make them impervious, meaning oxygen cannot enter and carbon dioxide cannot escape, thus preserving the taste and “fizz”.
CRANN executive director Diarmuid O’Brien said: “This partnership with SABMiller highlights the applicability of nanoscience and its relevance to everyday products.
“Improving every consumable, from our lighting, our cars, our electronic devices, to medicines, clothing, and food and drink is being researched by nanoscientists worldwide.
“Ireland is amongst the world leaders in this area, ranked sixth globally for materials science.”
In order to lock the flavour of beer into plastic bottles, Jonathan Coleman and his team will exfoliate nano-sheets of boron nitride, each with a thickness of one-50,000th of a human hair.
The sheets are then mixed with plastic, which results in a new material completely impermeable to gas molecules.
As well as increasing the shelf life of beer, less material is required in production of the new bottles, thus reducing costs and improving the environmental credentials of the bottled product.
“Because of the work like that of Prof Coleman and his peers, last year CRANN received over €5m in non-exchequer funding to progress research projectsm” said Dr O’Brien.” Companies worldwide, like SABMiller, are taking notice.”
