No description available.

No description available.

<p>Polysaccharides constitute an important source of raw materials for the packaging industry today. Polysaccharides have good natural barrier properties which are necessary for packaging films. Cellulose is the forerunner among renewable polymers for such applications. Hemicelluloses represent a new interesting breed of barrier materials. We have chosen to work with the hemicellulose O-acetyl-galactoglucomannan (AcGGM). The high water solubility of this particular hemicellulose extracted from process waters is both an advantage and a limiting factor. However, through the right modification, the water sensitivity of AcGGM can be regulated.</p><p>This thesis presents four ways to modify AcGGM: (i) benzylation, (ii) plasma surface treatment followed by styrene addition, (iii) vapor-phase (VP) surface grafting with styrene, and (iv) lamination of an unmodified film with a benzylated material. The most important methods of analysis of the films produced include contact angle measurement, dynamic mechanical analysis under moisture scan, and oxygen gas permeability measurement.</p><p>It was found that unmodified AcGGM films have low oxygen permeability at intermediate relative humidity (50 % RH) and good dynamic mechanical properties over a wider humidity range. Films of benzylated material (BnGGM) exhibited a decrease in oxygen permeability at lower humidity but showed better tolerance to higher humidities and indicated better dynamic mechanical behavior than AcGGM films. Lamination proved to be the most promising technique of modification, combining the good gas barrier properties of AcGGM films with the moisture-insensitivity of the BnGGM films.</p>

Environmental concerns arising from the use of non-degradable plastics have resulted in search for suitable substitutes. The thesis deals with new nanostructured composites based on reinforcement of nanocellulose whiskers in "green" polymers such as xylan. Since the reinforcement filler and the matrix are both biobased and are thereby environmental friendly. Xylan incorporated with cellulose whiskers films provided with improved water and oxygen barrier properties. It appears that the high degree of crystallinity of cellulose whiskers, dense composite structure formed by the whiskers and rigidly hydrogen-bonded cellulose whiskers can cause cellulose whiskers to form integrated matrix which contribute to substantial benefit in the overall reduction of transmission rate. The spectral data obtained for the NCW/xylan nanocomposite films showed that the amount of xylan adsorbed to cellulose increases with the addition of NCW in the matrix. In addition, NMR T2 relaxation experiments studies were conducted to investigate the change in the nature of carbohydrate-water interactions as a result of NCW incorporation. These results facilitated an improved understanding of the mechanisms involved in the superior barrier and mechanical properties of xylan-whisker nanocomposite films. XRD studies show that when a xylan-whisker nanocomposite films is formed the mixing occurs on the atomic scale and NCW loading increases the matrix crystallinity.

The application of current soy protein films are limited due to their low mechanical strength and high moisture sensitivity compared to synthetic materials. This research studied several methods to improve the mechanical properties [tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (EAB), Young’s modulus of elasticity (YM)] of solvent cast soy protein isolate (SPI) films. Drying times were significantly reduced through the use of a heated casting surface. Neutral (pH 7) SPI films were prepared but were found to have lower TS, EAB and YM than control films prepared under alkaline conditions. Cellulose was extracted from soybean wastes and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) verified the existence of nano-sized fibres. Composite SPI films were prepared using either extracted cellulose fibres or titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles and their mechanical and barrier properties (water vapour, and oxygen permeability) were evaluated under different relative humidity (RH) conditions. In general, TS and YM decreased and EAB increased with increasing RH. Films with 5% (w/w) added cellulose exhibited significant (p-value < 0.05) improvements in TS and YM but decreased EAB. TiO2 composites possessed similar TS, YM, and EAB values to control films. Barrier properties were comparable across all samples, and decreased with increasing RH. Samples were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Preliminary work investigating synthesis of filler materials using cross-linked sodium alginate particles increased the TS and YM of SPI films to a similar extent as extracted cellulose. A method for electrospinning cellulose using ionic liquids was developed, but requires further process optimization to be used for fibre/filler synthesis. / OMAFRA; Hannam Soy Utilization Fund

Thesis (Ph.D.); Submitted to the Univ. of California, Davis, CA (US); 10 Jun 2003. / Published through the Information Bridge: DOE Scientific and Technical Information. "UCRL-LR-153347" Maghribi, M. 06/10/2003. Report is also available in paper and microfiche from NTIS.

Polysaccharides constitute an important source of raw materials for the packaging industry today. Polysaccharides have good natural barrier properties which are necessary for packaging films. Cellulose is the forerunner among renewable polymers for such applications. Hemicelluloses represent a new interesting breed of barrier materials. We have chosen to work with the hemicellulose O-acetyl-galactoglucomannan (AcGGM). The high water solubility of this particular hemicellulose extracted from process waters is both an advantage and a limiting factor. However, through the right modification, the water sensitivity of AcGGM can be regulated. This thesis presents four ways to modify AcGGM: (i) benzylation, (ii) plasma surface treatment followed by styrene addition, (iii) vapor-phase (VP) surface grafting with styrene, and (iv) lamination of an unmodified film with a benzylated material. The most important methods of analysis of the films produced include contact angle measurement, dynamic mechanical analysis under moisture scan, and oxygen gas permeability measurement. It was found that unmodified AcGGM films have low oxygen permeability at intermediate relative humidity (50 % RH) and good dynamic mechanical properties over a wider humidity range. Films of benzylated material (BnGGM) exhibited a decrease in oxygen permeability at lower humidity but showed better tolerance to higher humidities and indicated better dynamic mechanical behavior than AcGGM films. Lamination proved to be the most promising technique of modification, combining the good gas barrier properties of AcGGM films with the moisture-insensitivity of the BnGGM films. / QC 20101117

La mondialisation des marchés, les changements d’habitudes de consommation et les préoccupations croissantes concernant la sécurité alimentaire et l’environnement sont des éléments moteurs pour le développement des films d’emballage comestibles/biodégradables antimicrobiens. Une utilisation en masse de ce type de film est dépendante principalement des verrous technologiques car le mode de fabrication actuellement utilisé pour ce genre de film consiste à utiliser un procédé (voie solvant) qui n’est pas toujours adapté à une production importante et continue. L’étude présentée ici permet de montrer la possibilité d’obtenir des films comestibles antimicrobiens à partir de caséinate de sodium en utilisant les procédés traditionnels de la plasturgie : extrusion bi-vis et extrusion-gonflage. Grâce aux optimisations des paramètres d’élaboration tels que la température de transformation, le taux de cisaillement et le taux de plastifiant, les matériaux contenant un agent actif naturel : le lysozyme, la nisine ou la natamycine ont gardé en partie leurs activités antimicrobiennes. Par des caractérisations mécaniques et physico-chimiques des films thermoplastiques, il a été démontré que ces films ont des propriétés mécaniques et barrières similaires à ceux fabriqués par voie solvant. Ces propriétés dépendent principalement du taux de plastifiant. Ainsi, il est possible de fabriquer des films comestibles antimicrobiens de caséinate de sodium avec de bonnes propriétés mécaniques et barrières qui ne sont pas affectées par la transformation thermomécanique et qui peuvent être adaptées en fonctions des applications en variant le taux de plastifiant / Because food market becomes international, consumers are changing their habits and they are more concerned about food security and environmental issues, there are driving forces for the development of edible/biodegradable antimicrobial packaging films. However, fabrication process (solution-casting) of these kinds of films isn’t always suitable for a continuous industrial big production. The present study demonstrates the suitability of sodium caseinate based edible antimicrobial films to be fabricated by some conventional plastic transformation processes: twinscrew extrusion and blown-film extrusion. Thanks to the optimizations of elaboration parameters such as extrusion temperature, shear and plasticizer ratio, the materials incorporated with one of the following active agents: lysozyme, nisin or natamycin, partially kept their antimicrobial activity. Physical-chemical film characterization of films emphasized that the type of transformation process doesn’t have any influence on tensile or gas barrier properties. These properties are mainly affected by plasticizer type and content. Thus, sodium caseinate based edible antimicrobial films can be produced successfully by thermo-mechanical processes without losing good mechanical and gas barrier properties

No description available.

No description available.