Characterization of odorous contaminants in post‐consumer plastic packaging waste using multidimensional gas chromatographic separation coupled with olfactometric resolution

The increasing world population with their growing consumption of goods escalates the issue of sustainability concepts with increasing demands in recycling technologies. Recovery of post‐consumer packaging waste is a major topic in this respect. However, contamination with odorous constituents currently curtails the production of recycling products that meet the high expectations of both consumers and industry. To guarantee odor‐free recyclates, the main prerequisite is to characterize the molecular composition of the causative odorants in post‐consumer plastic packaging waste. However, targeted characterization of odorous trace contaminants among an abundance of volatiles is a major challenge and requires specialized and high‐resolution analytical approaches. For this aim, post‐consumer packaging waste was characterized by sensory analysis and two‐dimensional high resolution gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and olfactometry. The 33 identified odorants represent various structural classes as well as a great diversity of smell impressions with some of the compounds being identified in plastics for the first time. Substances unraveled within this study provide insights into sources of odorous contamination that will require specific attention in the future in terms of screening and prevention in recycling products.     

Recent progress in biodegradable polymers and nanocomposite-based packaging materials for sustainable environment

Plastic-based materials are frequently used in packaging and can be seen universally in both the developed and developing societies. At present, most of the currently used food packaging materials are nondegradable and are creating serious environmental problems. New technologies are being explored and developed to study the complex interaction between the food packaging materials and food. For example, nanocomposite of cellulose constitutes environmentally friendly packaging, which is easily recycled by combustion and requires low power consumption in production. There are several such biodegradable materials which are available at a low price, have good mechanical properties and allow disposal in the soil. This is advantageous because biological degradation produces only carbon dioxide, water, and inorganic compounds to name a few. It has also been discovered that biodegradable plastics made of such materials can be disposed of together with organic waste. The widespread use of biopolymers in the place of standard plastics would help to reduce the weight of waste. Therefore, biodegradable materials take part in the natural cycle “from nature to nature” and play an important role for environmental sustainability. So, in this article, we briefly summarize the different characteristic of biodegradable polymers being used in food packaging applications.     

利用显微拉曼光谱结合化学计量学检验包装物中的毒品

利用显微拉曼光谱对包装物中的常见毒品进行了检验,分别分析了同种包装物中的五种常见毒品,以及同种毒品在物证袋、塑料袋、半透明文件夹、玻璃片、牛皮纸袋等五种不同的包装物中的拉曼光谱.并测量了硅片上的毒品样品粉末作为对照.实验结果表明,通过将激光光斑聚焦于包装物中的毒品,可以通过其特征峰对毒品的种类进行识别,但是需要排除28...     

From agricultural cellulosic waste to food delivery packaging: A mini-review

The growing food delivery service market has boosted the consumption of packaging materials, and this trend is projected to continue in the following years. The gap between industrial supply and consumer demand from a sustainable viewpoint leads to a need for agricultural cellulosic waste-based materials that bring the idea of trash-to-treasure to fruition. In this paper, we review up-to-date advancements surrounding the food delivery packaging that are derived from agricultural cellulosic waste. Two scenarios in which agricultural feedstock is used as a host or guest material are summarized, and sketch on the individual processing routine is depicted. We further evaluate how the chemical compositions and processing parameters influence the properties of the final products. Current challenges and gaps in developing sustainable packaging materials are identified, with perspectives on these important issues highlighting the importance of process innovation as well as economic and environmental-impact assessment for agricultural cellulosic waste to food delivery packaging.     

Independent components analysis coupled with 3D-front-face fluorescence spectroscopy to study the interaction between plastic food packaging and olive oil

Olive oil is one of the most valued sources of fats in the Mediterranean diet. Its storage was generally done using glass or metallic packaging materials. Nowadays, plastic packaging has gained worldwide spread for the storage of olive oil. However, plastics are not inert and interaction phenomena may occur between packaging materials and olive oil. In this study, extra virgin olive oil samples were submitted to accelerated interaction conditions, in contact with polypropylene (PP) and polylactide (PLA) plastic packaging materials. 3D-front-face fluorescence spectroscopy, being a simple, fast and non destructive analytical technique, was used to study this interaction. Independent components analysis (ICA) was used to analyze raw 3D-front-face fluorescence spectra of olive oil. ICA was able to highlight a probable effect of a migration of substances with antioxidant activity. The signals extracted by ICA corresponded to natural olive oil fluorophores (tocopherols and polyphenols) as well as newly formed ones which were tentatively identified as fluorescent oxidation products. Based on the extracted fluorescent signals, olive oil in contact with plastics had slower aging rates in comparison with reference oils. Peroxide and free acidity values validated the results obtained by ICA, related to olive oil oxidation rates. Sorbed olive oil in plastic was also quantified given that this sorption could induce a swelling of the polymer thus promoting migration.     

固相萃取-高效液相色谱法同时测定食品塑料包装材料中9种光稳定剂

建立了同时测定食品塑料包装材料中9种紫外光稳定剂含量的高效液相色谱方法。样品用甲醇-乙酸乙酯混合溶剂超声提取,经固相萃取小柱净化后,以ZORBAX SB-C18柱(250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm)为分离色谱柱,甲醇和水为流动相,梯度洗脱,以310 nm为检测波长进行定性、定量分析。该方法前处理简单、易操作,9种紫外光稳定剂分离效果良好。9种紫外光稳定剂在0.2～10 mg/L范围内呈良好的线性关系,线性相关系数大于0.999;方法检出限为0.05～0.1 mg/L;实际样品中的加标回收率为70.2%～89.0%,相对标准偏差为0.4%～4.5%。该方法简单、准确,能够满足食品塑料包装材料中紫外光稳定剂的检测要求。     

Neue Verpackungen für Lebensmittel: Gut verpackt?

The development of new food packaging is still quite a challenge. Generally, one has to distinguish between (a) passive packaging, (b) active and intelligent packaging, and (c) new techniques for the design and the presentation of a package. In the first case new materials, which are often composite materials, are created. The advantage of composite materials is that they combine properties that cannot be obtained with simple single materials. The pros and cons of composite are discussed in connection with the brown PET‐bottles in which beer has been sold for some years. The new generation of packaging, however, is active and intelligent packaging. Active packaging reacts to the internal atmosphere by initiating a change that is beneficial to the product shelf life. A well‐known example is the use of oxygen scavengers. In addition, intelligent packaging is becoming increasingly important. Here the packaging incorporates a sensor that reacts to the external atmosphere, thus monitoring the circumstances under which the product was stored. In other words, the respective labels inform the user about the freshness of the product he wants to consume. Last but not least, three examples are given, where the package can be activated by the consumer in order to get a hot coffee or a cold drink, respectively. The principle of self‐heating and self‐cooling cans is explained.     

钙钛矿光伏电池封装材料与工艺研究进展

钙钛矿太阳能电池作为第3代新概念太阳能电池,具有高光电转换效率、低成本和可柔性加工等优点,近年来发展迅速,其光电转换效率从一开始的3.8%增长到近期的25.5%,逐渐比肩硅电池,已接近商业化应用水平。目前,实现钙钛矿太阳能电池产业应用的关键环节在于电池封装,它不仅可以解决钙钛矿光伏器件稳定性问题,还可以实现电池安全、环保和延长使用寿命等要求。结合近十几年来钙钛矿光伏电池封装材料和封装工艺两方面的发展现状,文中介绍了钙钛矿电池封装领域取得的成果和存在的不足,讨论了目前现有封装技术的优缺点,以及它们适用的不同器件类型。着重在不同温度湿度条件下,比较了不同封装材料性能、封装工艺条件对钙钛矿电池效率及稳定性的影响,归纳出影响钙钛矿电池薄膜封装效果的3个关键因素： 聚合物的弹性模量、水蒸气透过率、加工温度。比较了不同聚合物薄膜封装材料适宜的加工温度、优缺点及加工成本。可以看出,随着钙钛矿光伏电池工业化需求的强烈增长和人们对其封装材料研究的不断深入,研究适合大面积生产和光伏建筑一体化的新型功能聚合物封装材料将是必然趋势。     

微孔发泡聚合物基导电复合材料的研究进展

概述了用超临界流体作为物理发泡剂对聚合物基导电复合材料进行微孔发泡的基本原理,总结了聚合物基导电复合材料及其微发泡复合材料的几种导电机理,简要介绍了近年来微孔发泡聚合物基导电复合材料电学性能的研究现状。并从微发泡聚合物基导电复合材料的基体特性、所使用的导电填料类型、导电填料的含量、填料在基体中的分散方法及微发泡复合材料的泡孔形态等几个方面,分析了影响微孔发泡聚合物基导电复合材料电学性能的主要因素,并展望了新型微孔发泡聚合物基导电复合材料的研究和发展趋势。     

邻苯二甲酸酯的毒性及相关限制法规

自台湾"起云剂事件"爆发以来,邻苯二甲酸酯开始为人们所知。作为一种塑料助剂,邻苯二甲酸酯广泛应用于日常生活的各个领域,特别是食品包装领域。研究发现,邻苯二甲酸酯具有致突变性、致癌性和致畸性等毒性,会对人体及动物的肝、肾等造成损伤。由于邻苯二甲酸酯与塑料分子间的作用力较弱,容易从食品包装材料中迁移到食品中,世界各国都制定了相关政策对其使用进行限制;我国也制定了一系列政策和法规对其进行控制;今后研究新的检测方法和替代品将是解决我国目前邻苯二甲酸酯问题的主要出路。     

Ultrahigh sensitivity uranium analyses using fission track counting: Further analyses of semiconductor packaging materials

Neutron activation analysis with fission track counting was applied to a study of a variety of ceramic and plastic semiconductor packaging materials. By using a high purity synthetic fused silic as a detector, the method has a lower limit for uranium of 0.02 ppb. The highly sensitive, accurate technique permitted study of individual, highly contaminated glass fibers in molded plastics and also studies of bulk ceramic and plastic materials.     

Screening adulteration of polypropylene bottles with postconsumer recycled plastics for oral drug package by near-infrared spectroscopy

Adulteration of pharmaceutical packaging containers with postconsumer recycled plastic materials was considerably difficult to identify due to the similar chemical compositions of virgin and recycled plastics. In the present study, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy coupled with conformity test was proposed to screen the adulteration of pharmaceutical packaging containers. Two kinds of representative screening models were investigated on polypropylene (PP) bottles for oral drug package. The reliability of the screening models was validated through studying the identification reliability, specificity, and robustness of the methods. The minimum spiking level of two modeled adulterants at the proportion of 20% could be detected, and the unqualified sample from a domestic manufacturer was rejected by this developed method. This strategy represents a rapid and promising analytical method for screening the adulteration of pharmaceutical plastic packaging containers with postconsumer recycled plastics.     

Enhanced rigidity of recycled polypropylene from packaging waste by compounding with talc and high‐ crystallinity polypropylene

Polypropylene (PP) constituted 30% of the collected material in a Swedish collection system for rigid plastic packaging waste. The PP fraction was however a complex mixture of grades with widely different properties. In order to enhance the rigidity of the recycled PP, modified grades were prepared by compounding with talc and/or a virgin high‐crystallinity PP grade. Adding 20–40% of high‐crystallinity PP enhanced the stiffness and yield strength without impairing the impact resistance. A composite material consisting of 20% of this grade, 20% talc and 60% recycled PP gave mechanical properties similar to those of a commercial talc‐filled PP compound used for demanding engineering applications. The present study demonstrates that recycled PP derived from post‐consumer packaging waste can also be made useful for demanding engineering applications. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

食品包装材料中双酚A在食品模拟物中迁移规律的研究

食品塑料包装材料的安全是保障食品安全的重要一环,包装材料中的双酚A潜在迁移性对人体健康的危害已引起社会的关注. 分别选取蒸馏水、3%乙酸(体积分数)和10%乙醇(体积分数)3种食品模拟物,浸泡已知双酚A含量的食品包装材料,在一定的时间点测试浸泡液中双酚A含量,研究迁移量与模拟物之间的关系. 结果表明,在不同食品模拟物下包装材料中双酚A的迁移量不同,其特定迁移量顺序为10%乙醇溶液>3 %乙酸溶液>蒸馏水. 并研究了温度、时间及微波作用影响食品包装材料中双酚A向食品中的迁移量,结果表明,双酚A向食品中迁移量随接触时间的延长、温度的升高而增加,微波作用能显著提高包装材料中双酚A向食品中的迁移量.     

European chemical industry's contribution to sustainable development

Chemical research and innovation is a key enabling factor in achieving a sustainable and equitable global society. The European chemical sector is a key player in the global chemical and pharmaceutical market and has been working to improve its own sustainability for many decades. Initiatives such as the European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry are developing new solutions that will further reduce the environmental impact of the sector, while boosting its energy and resource efficiency, and introducing new materials and processes based on renewable resources for use by society. These innovative solutions catalyse sustainability in other sectors and value chains and will help realise concepts such as a truly circular economy. To effectively implement such solutions requires close cooperation between government, industry and research bodies.     

Recent Advances in PLA-Based Antibacterial Food Packaging and Its Applications

In order to reduce environmental pollution and resource waste, food packaging materials should not only have good biodegradable ability but also effective antibacterial properties. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is the most commonly used biopolymer for food packaging applications. PLA has good physical properties, mechanical properties, biodegradability, and cell compatibility but does not have inherent antibacterial properties. Therefore, antibacterial packaging materials based on PLA need to add antibacterial agents to the polymer matrix. Natural antibacterial agents are widely used in food packaging materials due to their low toxicity. The high volatility of natural antibacterial agents restricts their application in food packaging materials. Therefore, appropriate processing methods are particularly important. This review introduces PLA-based natural antibacterial food packaging, and the composition and application of natural antibacterial agents are discussed. The properties of natural antibacterial agents, the technology of binding with the matrix, and the effect of inhibiting various bacteria are summarized.     

Gas separation membranes: needs for combined materials science and processing approaches

Huge markets would exist for high volume gas separation membranes if more robust and higher selectivity membranes were economically available. Many of these markets include totally new paradigms, such as fuel cell driven vehicles and membrane reactors for hydrocarbon production. Other markets involve displacing entrenched large scale separations processes with more advanced versions of first generation “conventional” membranes. Existing materials and formation processes cannot exploit most of these opportunities, so basic research is needed. This research must occur with an awareness that competition to displace highly optimized conventional technologies such as absorption, cryogenic distillation and adsorption must consider economic as well as technical efficacy. Next generation membrane processes should, therefore, maintain attractive economics associated with current polymer-based membranes, while greatly extending performance properties. Several “contender” strategies based largely on polymers and specialized polymer processing approaches for achieving this ambitious goal will be considered in more detail.     

The influence of aging on surface free energy of corona treated packaging films

In packaging, plastic films are very often applied as overprinting materials. The printing properties of plastic films depend on the value of the surface free energy. Usually, during storage but before printing, the surface free energy is decreasing as a result of ageing. The aim of this study was to analyse the influence of elevated temperature and UV radiation on ageing properties and variation of the free surface energy for three commercially available plastic films: polyethylene, polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate. The investigation was done experimentally, and the surface free energy was calculated using two approaches, Owens-Wendt and van Oss-Chaudhury-Good. The time change of polar fractions was also analysed. The calculation results were compared and it was concluded that UV radiation causes more changes in surface free energy than elevated temperature. In some cases, surface free energy values calculated with the applied methods show similar trends.     

Trends in nanomaterial-based solid-phase microextraction with a focus on environmental applications - A review

Effective solid-phase microextraction (SPME) in environmental field represents a crucial step for the adequate extraction of several analytes. Several materials have been traditionally developed for SPME of several analytes from environmental samples, even though their several restrictions such as post-treatment required, elevate costs and limited efficiency. Recently, nanomaterials (NMs) have emerged as a promising substitute for SPME in environmental applications of traditional techniques, due to their small size and their high specific surface-area which enhances their high reactivity. In this present review different NMs which have recently been utilized as SPME sorbent for environmental applications are classified into eleven main groups, namely nanoparticles, nanofibers, nanoflakes, nanocomposites, nanorods, nanotubes, nanohorns, nanosheets, nanocubes, nanospheres and polymer-based NMs. Application of these NMs in SPME modes and configurations for environmental analysis has been reviewed. The study discusses not only the advantages but also the major limitations of using such NMs.