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.     

Preparation and adhesive properties of colored Ti/Zr-based conversion coating on aluminum foil for lithium battery packaging

In this study, an aluminum (Al) foil used for lithium ion battery packaging film was treated with titanium (Ti)/zirconium (Zr) solution containing hexafluorotitanic acid and hexafluorozirconic acid using tannic acid as a colorant and metavanadate as an accelerator, respectively, and a golden conversion coating was successfully deposited on the surface of Al foil. The morphology and composition of the coating were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the hydrophilicity was assessed by contact angle measurement. The effect of Ti/Zr treatment on the adhesion properties of Al foil was evaluated by T-peeling test and compared with that of traditional chromate-phosphate treatment. The results show that tannic acid contributes to the formation of the golden coating, and metavanadate accelerates the formation of the conversion coating. The results also indicate that the Ti/Zr-based conversion coating is mainly composed of Al₂O₃, Al (OH)₃, AlF₃, TiO₂/ZrO₂, NH₄VO₃, and V₂O₅. The Ti/Zr treatment cannot only improve the heat-sealing strength, but also the T-peeling strength by approximately 12 times compared with that of untreated Al foil. Thus, Ti/Zr treatment has the potential to replace the traditional chromate conversion treatment.     

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。     

Migration of non intentionally added substances from adhesives by UPLC–Q‐TOF/MS and the role of EVOH to avoid migration in multilayer packaging materials

Polyurethane adhesives are commonly used to laminate multilayer packaging materials for food. Since these materials are in direct contact with the food, compounds could migrate from adhesive into it. For this reason, it is important to identify all the potential migrants and verify their migration. Ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole time‐of‐flight–mass spectrometry analyses and ChemSpider database are used to identify the potential migrants from polyurethane adhesives, and these techniques were demonstrated to be very powerful and useful tools for this purpose. Migration tests were carried out using Tenax® as food simulant. Nine out of fifteen non‐volatile compounds, identified in the cured adhesives, migrated. Most of them were identified as cyclic compounds, adipic based, which is the most commonly used monomer to make the polyester/polyol resins for polyurethane bi‐component adhesives. In this work, the use of EvOH layer in several multilayer materials to minimize or avoid migration was evaluated too. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Localisation and quantification of potential binding sites for compatibilisers on soft‐ and hardwood in wood–plastic composite systems

Chemical force microscopy (CFM) was used to characterise the surface of pine and beefwood with atomic force microscopy (AFM) tips coated with different compatibilisers. With the resulting force images, potential binding sites for compatibilisers, used in wood–plastic composites (WPC) to enhance adhesion between two relatively incompatible phases, were localised and quantified. Tips were coated with two commercially available polymers namely ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) and polyethylene‐grafted maleic anhydride (PE‐g‐MA). It could be observed that the interaction forces between the EVOH coated tip and the wood surface was highly species sensitive, whereas adhesive forces measured between the PE‐g‐MA coated tip and the wood surface were comparable for both wood species. The force maps show that wood species differ in the distribution of functional groups, and the force histograms show that the frequency distribution of the adhesive forces varied for the two wood species. The adhesive force maps clearly show a difference between wood/compatibiliser systems, and the differences can be related to the chemical composition of the wood species. The results confirm that not all compatibilisers are equally suitable for all wood species and these results were confirmed by mechanical tensile tests of WPC systems in a related study. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hartmann–Hahn 2D‐map to optimize the RAMP–CPMAS NMR experiment for pharmaceutical materials

Cross polarization–magic angle spinning (CPMAS) is the most used experiment for solid‐state NMR measurements in the pharmaceutical industry, with the well‐known variant RAMP–CPMAS its dominant implementation. The experimental work presented in this contribution focuses on the entangled effects of the main parameters of such an experiment. The shape of the RAMP–CP pulse has been considered as well as the contact time duration, and a particular attention also has been devoted to the radio‐frequency (RF) field inhomogeneity. ¹³ C CPMAS NMR spectra have been recorded with a systematic variation of ¹³ C and ¹H constant radiofrequency field pair values and represented as a Hartmann‐Hahn matching two‐dimensional map. Such a map yields a rational overview of the intricate optimal conditions necessary to achieve an efficient CP magnetization transfer. The map also highlights the effects of sweeping the RF by the RAMP–CP pulse on the number of Hartmann–Hahn matches crossed and how RF field inhomogeneity helps in increasing the CP efficiency by using a larger fraction of the sample. In the light of the results, strategies for optimal RAMP–CPMAS measurements are suggested, which lead to a much higher efficiency than constant amplitude CP experiment. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation and characterization of organic–inorganic hybrids and coating films from 3‐methacryloxypropylpolysilsesquioxane

3‐Methacryloxypropylpolysilsesquioxane (MA‐PS) was prepared by acid‐ or base‐catalyzed hydrolytic polycondensation of 3‐methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MAS). MA‐PS coating film was prepared by dip‐coating on organic, metal and inorganic substrates, including poly(ethylene terephthalate), aluminum, stainless steel, and glass. The coating films on poly(ethylene terephthalate) and glass showed high adhesive strength. The hardness of coating films increased with increasing heat treatment temperature, whereas they decreased with increasing H₂O/MAS molar ratio. The refractive index of coating films increased with increasing heat treatment temperature. In addition, flat and transparent free‐standing films (0.24–0.27 mm thickness) were prepared from MA‐PS that were crack‐free after heat treatment at 1000 °C. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of boric acid on properties of high‐alumina phosphate‐bonded plastic refractory materials

The effect of boric acid on the properties of high‐alumina phosphate‐bonded plastic refractory materials at medium temperature is investigated in this work. Powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis/differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques are used to investigate the compositions and microstructures of the Al₂O₃–H₃BO₃ sintering products, in order to study the influence of the generated aluminum borate on the high‐aluminum refractories. Additionally, the effect of the addition of H₃BO₃ on the densification and mechanical strength of high‐aluminum phosphate‐bonded plastic refractories is studied by the permanent linear change, apparent porosity, cold compressive strength, flexural strength, and scanning electron microscopy pattern. The densification and mechanical strength of the refractories can be improved significantly by the optimal addition of H₃BO₃. However, excess H₃BO₃ will bring about a large amount of bound water into the refractories, and superabundant aluminum borate whiskers will be generated by the excess addition of H₃BO₃, both of them resulting in the reduction of the densification and mechanical strength of the refractory. In conclusion, the optimum dosages of H₃BO₃ in the powder system of high‐alumina phosphate‐bonded plastic refractories are 5, 4, and 3 wt%, sintered at 700, 900, and 1100 °C, respectively.     

Pressure–Volume–Temperature properties of polyolefin liquids and their melt miscibility

The pressure–volume–temperature (P–V–T) properties of a number of metallocene-produced polyolefins were measured experimentally at 10 MPa ≤ P ≤ 200 MPa and 30°C ≤ T ≤ 220°C in a dilatometer-type P–V–T apparatus. These included ethylene copolymers typical of linear low density polyethylene, with several α-olefins as comonomers and a wide range of comonomer content. The experimental P–V–T data were correlated with the equations of state from the Sanchez–Lacombe and Flory–Orwoll–Vrij theories. The solubility parameter map of the polyolefins, at atmospheric pressure, was established on the basis of the thermodynamic data. As the temperature increases, the solubility parameter of the polyolefin decreases. The solubility parameters of copolymers of ethylene with propylene, butene, hexene, and octene under constant temperature are all more or less the same at equal weight percent of comonomer. As the incorporation of branches increases, the solubility parameter decreases. The melt miscibility of the polyolefin blends can be predicted to design various blend products for specific applications from this solubility parameter map. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 2835–2844, 1999     

Evaluation of plastic packaging materials used in radiation sterilized medical products and food

This paper studied the results of evaluation on resistance to radiation, moisture permeability, bacteria permeability, tensile strength, elongation at break and sealing ability for several plastic films available on the market. The result shows that nylon, sarin, and polyethylene complex films, high and low density polyethylene films are applicable for packing of radiation sterilized products.     

Characterization of proton‐conducting organic–inorganic polymeric materials by ASAXS

The distribution of ZrO₂ and phosphotungstic acid (PTA) in a matrix of sulfonated polyether ketone was investigated by anomalous small‐angle X‐ray scattering (ASAXS). Scattering curves were obtained using X‐ray energies near the Zr and W absorption edges, allowing the independent analysis of the distribution of ZrO₂ and PTA in the sample. The interaction between both inorganic components improved their dispersion considerably when compared with films containing just one of the additives. The synergism was correlated to previous investigations concerning proton conductivity and permeability of the membranes developed for direct methanol fuel cell. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2981–2992, 2005     

Three‐phase hollow‐fiber liquid‐phase microextraction combined with HPLC–UV for the determination of isothiazolinone biocides in adhesives used for food packaging materials

The present study deals with the development of a liquid microextraction procedure for enhancing the sensitivity of the determination of 2‐methyl‐4‐isothiazolin‐3‐one and 5‐chloro‐2‐methyl‐4‐isothiazolin‐3‐one in adhesives. The procedure involves a three‐phase hollow‐fiber liquid‐phase microextraction using a semipermeable polypropylene membrane, which contained 1‐octanol as the organic phase in the pores of the membrane. The donor and acceptor phases are aqueous acidic and alkaline media, respectively, and the final liquid phase (acceptor) is analyzed by HPLC coupled with diode array detection. The most appropriate conditions were extraction time 20 min, stirring speed 1400 rpm, extraction temperature 50°C. The quantification limits of the method were 0.123 and 0.490 μg/g for 2‐methyl‐4‐isothiazolin‐3‐one and 5‐chloro‐2‐methyl‐4‐isothiazolin‐3‐one, respectively. Three different adhesive samples were successfully analyzed. The procedure was compared to direct analysis using ultra high pressure liquid chromatography coupled with TOF‐MS, where the identification of the compounds and the quantification values were confirmed.     

Self‐adhesive epoxy modified silicone materials for light emitting diode encapsulation

In this paper, we prepared the light emitting diode (LED) encapsulant with self‐adhesion and high refractive index. In order to improve adhesion properties, we synthesized a series of multifunctional polysiloxanes with different contents of epoxy groups via the sol–gel condensation of methylvinyldimethoxysilane, diphenylsilanediol and 3‐glycidoxypropyldimethoxymethylsilane. The structures of epoxyphenylvinyl silicone (EPVS) resins were confirmed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier‐transform infrared. The effect of epoxy group content on the adhesion property of EPVS resins was fully studied. The performances of the LED encapsulation materials based on EPVS resins were investigated in detail. These self‐adhesive encapsulating materials showed excellent thermal stability, a high refractive index of 1.55 and good adhesive property. These EPVSs can be used as an adhesion promoter for LED encapsulation materials. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solid‐state lasers based on inorganic–organic hybrid materials obtained by combined sol–gel polymer technology

Sol–gel glass matrices in which organic laser dyes are embedded can be used as the gain medium in solid‐state, continuously tunable lasers. Such lasers are very simple to construct, and potentially very compact and efficient. Unlike the commonly used liquid dye laser systems, solid‐state dye lasers can be made mechanically robust and portable. In this article, the development of sol–gel/dye lasers, including the sol–gel technology, dye properties, and laser operation, is reviewed. In addition, new solid‐state hosts (such as polyurethane/silica ORMOSILs), additional organic dyes (cyanines), and new studies on the stability of the dyes are presented. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation and properties of mechanically alloyed and electrochemically etched porous Ti–6Al–4V

Formation of porous Ti–6Al–4V nanostructure biomaterial was described. The alloy was prepared by mechanical alloying followed by pressing, sintering and subsequent anodic electrochemical etching in 1 M H₃PO₄ + 2% HF electrolyte at 10 V for 30 min. Mechanically alloyed Ti–6Al–4V has nanostructure with grain size of about 35 nm and large grain boundaries volume fraction, which essentially improve etching process. The electrolyte penetrates sintered compacts through the grain boundaries, resulting in effective material removing and pores formation. The pore diameter reaches up to 60 μm, which is very attractive for strong bonding with bone. The anodization of the microcrystalline alloy ingot results in selective etching, revealing of the two-phase structure with relatively flat surface. The corrosion properties were investigated in Ringer’s solution. Mechanically alloyed samples shows worse corrosion resistance than the bulk microcrystalline alloy ingot, but electrochemical etching results in improving corrosion resistance.     

Scattering properties of core–shell particles in plastic matrices

Blending submicron rubber particles with plastics can enhance the mechanical strength of the composite material. However, the difference in refractive index between the particle and matrix scatters light, making the material more opaque. We consider the possibility of reducing a particle's scattering cross section by adding coatings. We find that adding coatings can reduce the amount of scattering by changing the effective dielectric contrast between the particle and the matrix. We also found that, when the refractive index of the particle is very close to that of the matrix the order of the layers can have significant effects on the transmitted light. Such effects may be useful for engineering the optical properties of particle‐doped plastics. Resonant effects akin to those found in antireflection coatings on planar surfaces are difficult to obtain and rarely provide a significant reduction in scattering. We discuss theoretical models that can qualitatively explain some of our results. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 3534–3548, 2005     

Analytical method for the simultaneous determination of polyfunctional amines used as monomers in the manufacture of food packaging materials

This paper describes the development of a multi-analyte method for the determination of polyfunctional amines commonly used as monomers in the manufacture of food contact materials. Amines were analyzed by high-performance-liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) after derivatization with dansyl chloride. The chromatographic analysis and the derivatization conditions were optimized. The proposed method was validated in terms of linearity, limits of detection and repeatabilities. The method showed an excellent sensitivity (LOD≤0.05 μg/mL) and appropriate repeatabilites (RSD (n=7)≤5%)). LC-MS/MS was used as a confirmatory technique. The stability of the amines in five food simulants (distilled water, 3% acetic acid, 10% ethanol, 50% ethanol and olive oil) under the most common testing conditions (10 days at 40 °C) was also studied. Results showed that amines had an acceptable stability in aqueous simulants but in the olive oil a loss of 100% was observed for all analytes.     

Study on porous silk fibroin materials: 3. Influence of repeated freeze–thawing on the structure and properties of porous silk fibroin materials

The influence of repeated freeze–thawing on pore structural characteristics and physical properties of porous silk fibroin materials prepared by freeze drying were studied. It showed that when quick‐frozen silk fibroin solution was repeatedly thawed and frozen before being vacuum dried, thus pore size of prepared porous silk fibroin materials increased from 67 µm to about 120 µm, and pore density decreased from 80 per square millimeter to about 28 per square millimeter; at the same time compression ratio and moisture permeability increased from 22.7% and 230 g/m² hr to about 33.7% and 308 g/m² hr, respectively, tensile strength and dissolvability in hot water decreased from 20.2 N/cm² and 42.7% to about 12.5 N/cm² and 26.1%, respectively. Both the times of repeated thawing and the thawing temperature had a certain influence on the above‐mentioned pore characteristic parameters and physical properties. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定焙烤食品及其塑料包装中31种邻苯二甲酸酯

建立了高效液相色谱-三重四极杆串联质谱（HPLC-MS/MS）测定焙烤食品及其塑料包装中31种邻苯二甲酸酯（PAEs）的方法。焙烤食品采用乙酸乙酯超声提取,提取液经冷冻（-18℃）、低温高速离心净化,剪碎后的塑料包装材料采用体积比为1：1：1的甲醇-丙酮-正己烷混合溶剂进行液液超声萃取后进入HPLC-MS/MS分析。采用MGⅢC₁₈色谱柱（2.0 mm×100 mm,5 μm）,选择反应监测（SRM）模式测定。实验结果表明,31种邻苯二甲酸酯的特征离子质量色谱峰的峰面积与其质量浓度在各自的质量浓度范围内线性关系良好（r²≥0.9958）。样品加标回收率除邻苯二甲酸二月桂酯（DLP）为70.9%～109.7%外,其余30种化合物为80.1%～113.0%,相对标准偏差（n=6）为1.0%～13.7%。31种PAEs的检出限在0.02～8.15 μg/kg之间,定量限在0.07～27.17 μg/kg之间。应用该方法检测了面包、饼干、糕点、馅料4大类焙烤食品及其塑料包装中31种邻苯二甲酸酯的含量。该方法具有操作简单、快速、准确度和精密度高等优点,满足日常检测的要求。     

Optimization of a novel headspace–solid‐phase microextraction–gas chromatographic method by means of a Doehlert uniform shell design for the analysis of trace level ethylene oxide residuals in sterilized medical devices

Medical devices sterilized by ethylene oxide (EtO) retain trace quantities of EtO residuals, which may irritate patients' tissue. Reliably quantifying trace level EtO residuals in small medical devices requires an extremely sensitive analytical method. In this research, a Doehlert uniform shell design was utilized in obtaining a response surface to optimize a novel headspace–solid‐phase microextraction–gas chromatographic (HS‐SPME‐GC) method developed for analyzing trace levels of EtO residuals in sterilized medical devices, by evaluating sterilized, polymer‐coated, drug‐eluting cardiovascular stents. The effects of four independent experimental variables (HS‐SPME desorption time, extraction temperature, GC inlet temperature and extraction time) on GC peak area response of EtO were investigated simultaneously and the most influential experimental variables determined were extraction temperature and GC inlet temperature, with the fitted model showing no evidence of lack‐of‐fit. The optimized HS‐SPME‐GC method demonstrated overall good linearity/linear range, accuracy, repeatability, reproducibility, absolute recovery and high sensitivity. This novel method was successfully applied to analysis of trace levels of EtO residuals in sterilized/aerated cardiovascular stents of various lengths and internal diameter, where, upon heating, trace EtO residuals fully volatilized into HS for extraction, thereby nullifying matrix effects. As an alternative, this novel HS‐SPME‐GC method can offer higher sensitivity compared with conventional headspace analyzer‐based sampling. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.