This work presents the development of a new pretreatment for clear coated wood, that aims to increase the photoprotection of exterior wood products, and at the same time make the system more environmentally friendly. The pretreatment comprises the reactive UV absorber 2-hydroxy-4(2,3-epoxy­propoxy)-benzophenone (HEPBP), which has a primary epoxy group that can be covalently attached to the hydroxyl groups of the wood substrate. This reactant is accompanied by renewable epoxy functionalized soybean oil (ESBO), which contains a secondary epoxy group that also has the ability to react with the substrate and that promotes the compatibility between the two reactants. The ESBO further seems to have the advantage of increasing the flexibility of the pretreated veneers as well as decreasing the amount of water in the cell wall of the wood. The study was performed in two parts where the first part focused solely on the development and performance of the pretreatment, whereas the second part used the knowledge gained from part one to evaluate the pretreatment in combination with an acrylic clear coating. Grafting reactions were performed on thin wood veneers heated in solvent. In the first part the reaction parameters, temperature and reaction time, were varied to study their effects on the final properties of the pretreatments. The veneers where then analyzed using FTIR to determine if grafting was achieved. Results show that grafting was successful for reactions performed at temperatures above 90 °C. For part two, grafting was successful for both the boil- and dip process, indicating that a considerably shorter reaction time can be used. Samples from both part one and two where then exposed to accelerated ageing and the color change was measured to estimate the UV-resistance. The first part showed improved UV-resistance for some of the pretreatments, whereas the second part was more difficult to evaluate due to the top coat, but a slight improvement can be seen for samples using the pretreatment. A positive result for part two is also that the pretreatment do not appear to affect the adhesion between the substrate and the top coat. It is hence concluded that the proposed pretreatment is a possible way of increasing the photostability of exterior wood. / Detta arbete beskriver utvecklandet av en ny förbehandling för klarlackat trä som syftar till att öka UV-beständigheten av träprodukter för utomhusbruk. Arbetet syftar även till att utveckla systemet till att bli miljövänligare än nuvarande liknande produkter på marknaden. Förbehandlingen utnyttjar primära epoxidgrupper hos den reaktiva UV-absorbenten 2-hydroxy-4(2,3-epoxy­propoxy)-bensofenon (HEPBP) för att skapa kovalenta bindningar till hydroxylgrupper hos träet. Den andra komponenten i systemet är förnyelsebar epoxiderad sojaolja (ESBO) innehållande sekundära epoxidgrupper som även dessa kan binda kovalent till träytan, samt gynna kompatibiliteten mellan de två reaktanterna. Oljan verkar dessutom öka flexibiliteten av förbehandlingen, samtidigt som den minskar mängden vatten som tränger in i cellväggen. Studien utfördes i två delar där den första delen fokuserade enbart på att utveckla förbehandlingen, medan den andra delen utnyttjade information från den första delen för att utvärdera funktionen av förbehandlingen i kombination med en akrylatbaserad klarlack. Ympningsreaktionerna utfördes på tunna träfaner i uppvärmd lösning. I första delen studerades hur temperatur- och reaktionstidsförändringar påverkar den slutgiltiga prestationen av förbehandlingen, och FTIR användes då för att verifiera ympningen. Resultaten visar att ympningen var lyckad för reaktioner utförda vid reaktionstemperaturer över 90 °C. För del två ansågs ympningen lyckad för både dopp- och kokreaktionen, vilket tyder på att betydligt kortare reaktionstider skulle kunna användas. Prover från både del ett och två utsattes sedan för accelererad åldring där färgförändringen av proverna mättes för att uppskatta UV-resistensen av behandlingarna. Första delen visade på ökad UV-beständighet för vissa av behandlingarna. Del två var dock svårare att utvärdera till följd av klarlacken, men en liten förbättring kan noteras för prover som är förbehandlade. En positiv notering från del två är även att adhesionen mellan klarlacken och träytan inte verkar ha påverkats av förbehandlingen. Med detta som grund dras slutsatsen att den föreslagna förbehandlingen kan förbättra UV-resistensen av klarlackat trä för utomhusbruk. / QC 20120330

Natamycin is an antimycotic with very low water solubility and extremely high photosensitivity, which is used to extend the shelf life of shredded cheese products. The objectives of this research are: (a) to find a new delivery system for natamycin, which increases its aqueous solubility and (b) to increase the chemical stability of natamycin so that it has a prolonged antifungal effect on the surface of the shredded cheese. Molecular inclusion complexes of natamycin were formed with β-, hydroxypropyl β-, and γ- cyclodextrins (CDs) which allowed large increases in aqueous solubility without the use of organic co-solvents or surfactants. The water solubility of natamycin was increased 16-fold, 73- fold, and 152-fold with β-CD, γ-CD, and hydroxypropyl β-CD, respectively. The natamycin:CD inclusion complexes resulted in nearly equivalent in vitro antifungal activity as natamycin in its free state. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was utilized to prove the formation of true inclusion complexes. 1H NMR shift titrations of N-(3 -N-dimethylaminosuccimido) natamycin with β- and γ-CDs enabled determination of the stoichiometry of both complexes as 1:1. Aqueous solutions of natamycin (20 mg/L) were found by quantitative HPLC to be completely degraded after 24 hours of exposure to 1000 lux fluorescent lighting at 4 °C. After 14 days of storage in darkness at 4 °C, 92.2% of natamycin remained in active form. Aqueous solutions of natamycin:β-CD complex and natamycin:γ-CD complex were significantly more stable (p < 0.05) than natamycin in its free state when stored in darkness at 4 °C. Clear poly(ethylene terephthalate) packaging with an ultraviolet light absorber allowed 85.0% natamycin to remain after 14 days of storage under 1000 lux fluorescent lighting at 4 °C. Such dramatic increases in water solubility and light stability will enable natamycin to function as a more effective antimycotic in the food industry. / Master of Science

Natamycin is an antimycotic compound that is widely used in the cheese industry to increase the shelf life of cheeses, especially shredded cheeses, by inhibiting the growth of molds. Natamycin is applied to the surface of cheese as an aqueous suspension or as a powder. However, natamycin is not readily water soluble making it harder to distribute evenly over shredded cheese Natamycin is degraded by ultraviolet (UV) light at wavelengths of 350 nm and below. Typical packaging applications do not provide adequate UV protection causing natamycin to degrade. This work was undertaken to determine the efficacy of UV absorber film to prevent UV light degradation of natamycin on the surface of shredded cheese. Current accepted methods to determine concentration of natamycin were evaluated for appropriateness in natamycin degradation studIes. The use of cyclodextrins to increase water solubility was tested to see if a uniform distribution of natamycin over the shredded cheese could be done effectively. Furthermore, a known application of mold was performed to see how well natamycin and each of its applications could prevent visible mold growth from occurring. The International Dairy Federation recognizes two methods to quantify natamycin on shredded cheese: high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and spectrophotometry. Concentrations of natamycin in aqueous suspensions were determined using both methods. Results show that spectrophotometry is flawed when quantifying the amount of active natamycin because the method gives erroneously high results. The amount of active natamycin is not accurately quantified using spectrophotometric techniques because it cannot separate the active form from the inactive form of natamycin. Polymer packages containing a UV absorber (11.4% light transmission at 350 nm) allow significantly less UV-associated degradation of natamycin than those packages that lacked a UV protectant (90.0% light transmission at 350 nm) (p<0.05). Incorporating a UV absorber into a package helps protect natamycin and its various complexes from UV light degradation, which can increase the shelf life of shredded cheese. However, even with a UV absorber, natamycin is still able to degrade. Natamycin was complexed with different cyclodextrins to help better solubilize natamycin â β-cyclodextrin, hydroxy-propyl β-cyclodextrin and γ-cyclodextrin. Using cyclodextrins to apply natamycin more uniformly onto shredded cheese did not significantly increase the consistency of distribution (p<0.05). Variability was uniform throughout all treatments with the exception of HPBCD complex. After 27 days, all of the UV packages treated with each of the cyclodextrin treatments containing shredded cheese began to show visible mold growth. Those packages stored in total darkness remained mold free through the duration of the experiment ending on day 62. When untreated with natamycin and an initial concentration of 101-102 spores/gram of Penicillium roqueforti, shredded cheese remained free from visible mold growth for 24 days in total darkness at 4°C. Samples treated with one of the natamycin treatments were able to remain mold free for at least 9 more days, showing visible signs of mold growth at day 33. There was no statistical difference between the treatments of dry natamycin, aqueous suspension natamycin, β-cyclodextrin-natamycin complex, and γ-cyclodextrin-natamycin complex (p<0.05). However, there was a difference with the use of hydroxy-propyl β-cyclodextrin-natamycin complex. Hydroxy-propyl β-cyclodextrin-natamycin complex allowed the shredded cheese to last for 41 days, 17 days longer than the control sample. / Master of Science

Práce podává přehled o dostupných a využívaných metodách, normách pro testování a hodnocení světlostálosti barevných fotografií a tisků. Bylo provedeno porovnání jednotlivých platných norem a návrhů na hodnocení. Tato práce pojednává o ochraně inkjetových tisků pomocí lakování. Byl připraven lak kompatibilní s fotografickými médii. Připravená kompozice byla obohacena o UV absorbéry EVERSORB ve dvou koncentracích. Pro srovnání byly také testovány tři druhy komerčních ochranných fotografických laků. Výtisky se třemi barvivovými inkousty opatřené lakovou vrstvou, byly vystaveny jak urychlenému světelnému stárnutí v xenonové testovací komoře, tak urychlenému stárnutí v ozonové testovací komoře. Na základě měřených odrazových spekter byl vypočítaný objem barvového gamutu pomocí softwaru Volga. Byl sledován úbytek gamutů v průběhu světelného stárnutí i při expozici ozonem. Stárnutí vzorků probíhalo do ukončení testu, nebo do dosažení kritéria 30% úbytku objemu barvového gamutu. Také bylo pozorováno selhání recipročního zákona, které ukazuje na jistou nepřesnost při předpovědi dlouhé životnosti vzorků. Pomocí změny barvového gamutu byla posuzována ochrana připraveného laku před UV záření a ozonem. Studované vrstvy laků byly dále charakterizovány na prostupnost kyslíku a vodní páry.