A Comparative Study on the Roll-to-Roll Processing of a Silicate-Polyvinyl Alcohol Composite Barrier Lacquer Using Slot-Die and Reverse Gravure Coating Techniques.

The integration of platelet-shaped montmorillonite particles to improve the oxygen barrier of polyvinyl-alcohol-based barrier layers is state-of-the-art, but research on roll-to-roll coatings of such composite barrier lacquers has not been widely published. In this study, two different coating techniques, slot-die and reverse gravure, were used on a roll-to-roll scale to apply barrier lacquers comprising polyvinyl alcohol and montmorillonite. The lacquers were analyzed regarding viscosity at certain shear rates and surface energy and the dried coating layers regarding oxygen barrier, surface morphology, and particle orientation.

Evaluation of Two Cosolvency Models to Predict Solute Partitioning between Polymers (LDPE) and Water - Ethanol Simulating Solvent Mixtures.

Purpose: Binary water - ethanol mixtures, by mimicking a clinically relevant medium's polarity-driven extraction strength, facilitate experimental modeling of patient exposure to chemicals which can potentially leach from a plastic material for pharmaceutical applications. Estimates of patient exposure could consequently benefit from a quantitative concept for tailoring the extraction strength of the simulating solvent mixture towards the one of the clinically relevant medium.

Methods: The hypothetical partition coefficient based upon the differential solubility between water-ethanol mixtures and water, [Formula: see text], has been calculated by the log-linear model from Yalkowsky and coworkers and a cosolvency model based on Abraham-type linear solvation energy relationships (LSERs).

Nanocomposite Coatings Based on Polyvinyl Alcohol and Montmorillonite for High-Barrier Food Packaging.

Materials with high barrier properties against oxygen are required for the packaging of many sensitive foods. Since commodity polymers lack these properties, additional barrier materials are used in plastic-based barrier packaging. These are usually more expensive than commodity polymers and, in higher fractions, also make recycling more difficult.

Non-Destructive Measuring Systems for the Evaluation of High Oxygen Stored Poultry: Development of Headspace Gas Composition, Sensory and Microbiological Spoilage.

As poultry is known to be a perishable food, the use-by date is set in such a way that food safety is guaranteed even with a higher initial bacterial count. This means, however, that some products are wasted, even if they are still safe to eat. Therefore, non-destructive measurement devices might be a good opportunity for individual shelf-life prediction, e.

Linear solvation energy relationships (LSERs) for robust prediction of partition coefficients between low density polyethylene and water. Part I: Experimental partition coefficients and model calibration.

When equilibrium of leaching is reached within a product's duty cycle, partition coefficients polymer/solution dictate the maximum accumulation of a leachable and thus, patient exposure by leachables. Yet, in the pharmaceutical and food industry, exposure estimates based on predictive modeling typically rely on coarse estimations of the partition coefficient, with accurate and robust models lacking. This first part of the study aimed to investigate linear solvation energy relationships (LSERs) as high performing models for the prediction of partition coefficients polymer/water.

Linear solvation energy relationships (LSERs) for robust prediction of partition coefficients between low density polyethylene and water. Part II: Model evaluation and benchmarking.

By neglecting the kinetics of leaching, accumulation of leachables in a clinically relevant medium in contact with plastics is principally driven by the equilibrium partition coefficient between the polymer and the medium phase. Based on experimental partition coefficients for a wide set of chemically diverse compounds between low density polyethylene (LDPE) and water, a linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) model was obtained in part I of this study, reading: logK=-0.529+1.

Environmental Microplastic Particles vs. Engineered Plastic Microparticles-A Comparative Review.

Microplastic particles (MPs) pose a novel threat to nature. Despite being first noticed in the 1970s, research on this topic has only surged in recent years. Researchers have mainly focused on environmental plastic particles; however, studies with defined microplastic particles as the sample input are scarce.

Thickness-Dependent Permeation Properties of Quenched and Standard Laser-Sintered Polyamide 12 Sheets.

The laser sintering of polymers is an additive manufacturing technology that is becoming increasingly established in the industrial environment. This study investigated the thickness-dependent permeation properties of laser-sintered (LS) polymers as required to design and produce components with a special barrier performance to gaseous substances. Helium and oxygen permeation experiments were carried out on quenched and standard LS polyamide 12 (PA12) sheets generated with two, four, six, and eight layers at a constant powder layer thickness of 100 µm.

Detection of dairy fouling by cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry.

Fouling in food processing environment can cause the increase of production costs due to additional cleaning steps and risk of contamination of food products. There is a demand to introduce advanced techniques to detect fouling in food processing equipment. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) were probed in this work to detect the dairy fouling and the reconstructed dairy emulsion by platinum-based interdigitated microelectrodes.

Electrochemical detection of food-spoiling bacteria using interdigitated platinum microelectrodes.

The fast and non-destructive detection of bacterial attachment on food contact surfaces is important for the prevention of the unwanted formation of biofilms. Biofilms constitute a protected growth mode that allows bacteria to survive even in hostile environments. Therefore, the fast detection of bacterial attachment may be an effective strategy for biofilm control.

A systematic approach for the accurate and rapid measurement of water vapor transmission through ultra-high barrier films.

Flexible organic electronic devices are often protected from degradation by encapsulation in multilayered films with very high barrier properties against moisture and oxygen. However, metrology must be improved to detect such low quantities of permeants. We therefore developed a modified ultra-low permeation measurement device based on a constant-flow carrier-gas system to measure both the transient and stationary water vapor permeation through high-performance barrier films.

In-situ measurement of oxygen concentration under high pressure and the application to oxygen permeation through polymer films.

Up until now, gas permeation through polymers under high pressure has not been able to be measured continuously. The combination of a special high pressure cell and a commercially available fluorescence-based oxygen measurement system allows in-situ monitoring of oxygen permeation through a polymer sample under pressure in an aqueous environment. The principle of the oxygen sensor is based on dynamic fluorescence quenching and measurement of the fluorescence decay time.

Understanding critical factors for the quality and shelf-life of MAP fresh meat: a review.

Due to increased demands for greater stringency in relation to hygiene and safety issues associated with fresh food products, coupled with ever-increasing demands by retailers for cost-effective extensions to product shelf-lives and the requirement to meet consumer expectations in relation to convenience and quality, the food packaging industry has rapidly developed to meet and satisfy expectations. One of the areas of research that has shown promise, and had success, is modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). The success of MAP-fresh meat depends on many factors including good initial product quality, good hygiene from the source plants, correct packaging material selection, the appropriate gas mix for the product, reliable packaging equipment, and maintenance of controlled temperatures and humidity levels.

Recent advances in extending the shelf life of fresh Agaricus mushrooms: a review.

Postharvest browning of Agaricus mushrooms is a severe problem that reduces the shelf life of harvested mushrooms because of their continued respiration and biochemical activity. There are no simple answers and no single treatment is known to limit overall quality deterioration. However, there are several strategies that are being implemented in order to reduce the rate of respiration for mushrooms.