Polymeric Coatings in Metal Food Cans

Plastics in particular have a dominant position, especially considering that many paper and board packages are laminated to plastics as the food contact surface and most metal cans are lacquered inside with polymeric coatings to protect the metal from the food. 

The metals used to manufacture cans, ends and closures are either steel (tin plated or chromium passivated) or aluminium. In most cases they are coated on the food contact surface with a resinous or polymeric protective coating to avoid interaction between the foodstuff and the metal. However, there is a well defined sector of the tinplate food packaging market where no protective organic coating is needed or used. 

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