Integrity in a Can... Bag-on-Valve Technology By Magnus Hedman Co-Founder, Partner, Marketing Director & Business Development Manager, Aurena Laboratories AB http://se.linkedin.com/in/magnushedman; magnus@aurena.se Once a tiny niche of the aerosol market, 18 Spray April 2014 more and more companies are now turning to bag-on-valve (BOV) aerosols to package products. It’s a suitable barrier package for liquids, gels, creams and lotions, maintaining product integrity and protecting against oxygen exposure. Originating in the cosmetics industry, BOV packaging has caught the interest of the pharmaceutical, food and personal care industries, among others. Global volumes have increased and awareness among consumers is growing, albeit slowly. Under-the-Cup Gassing A BOV system consists of a rolled up, multi-layered and flexible pouch welded to an aerosol valve. Most pouches consist of four-layer laminate with polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE) as the inner material in contact with the product. The other layers of the pouch are in most cases polyester (PET), aluminum and polyamide (OPA). In the most common filling process, compressed air or nitrogen is charged into the canister, while the aerosol valve with the attached bag is crimped onto it. This pressurizing process is called under- the-cup (UTC) gassing, creating an initial pressure of a few bars in the canister. The final pressure, when the product has been filled through the valve, is normally between six and nine bars depending on product configuration. The formulation is forced through the aerosol valve stem to fill the bag and usually encompasses about 60% of the canister’s brim capacity. The compressed gas occupies the remaining 40%. Available standard BOV packaging covers a broad range of 30 to 500mL canisters. With its high product integrity and protection against oxygen exposure, a BOV system is a very suitable barrier pack for liquids, gels, creams and lotions. For many formulations, fewer preservatives are needed and may sometimes be excluded altogether. It is possible to use gamma irradiation to sterilize products. Thus, the product will not only be kept sterile until it’s used for the first time, but during its entire shelf life. BOV Propellants BOV propellants of compressed air or nitrogen help eliminate the need for pumping out the content, a great advantage compared with hand pumps or tubes, for example. Instead, the content can be dispensed smoothly and evenly, giving the user precise control over the administration of the product. A BOV system can be used from any angle without losing any force in the spray. Compared with products in which the propellant is part of the formula, products dispensed through BOV have no chilling effect. The degree of evacuation ranges from 95% to 99%. Once the product is empty, it no longer contains any propellant residue. Contained between the bag and the canister, they never come in contact with the product, thus helping to guarantee total integrity of the product. In addition, BOV is compatible with most commercially available liquefied propellants and can be a good choice for products that call for
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