Applications of Microscopy in the Paper Industry: Case Histories of the Mead Corporation

Microscopial application in the Mead Corporation are herein discussed: 1) defining proper starch cook for maintaining paper quality, 2) microbial degradation of paperboard used for beverage cartons, and 3) examination of high oxygen barrier plastic cups for hermetic seal and barrier construction. Visualization of the cooked starch by iodine staining and polarized light (PL) microscopy is a quick diagnostic aid to Mead mills. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and particularly PL proved useful in examining fiber biodegration by fungi on Coated Natural Kraft beverage cartons. Nomarski differential interference contrast (DIC), PL, and SEM aided in qualifying lid materials for Mead\u27s Crosscheck Food Packaging System, defining hermetic seals, and examining container construction. Further, DIC optics have enhanced the observation of possible abnormalities in container construction used on Cross-check over conventional Kohler optics and/or SEM. Integrative microscopy was thus a valuable technique in problem resolution for the defined applications

Hydroalcoholic extracts from the bark of Quercus suber L. (Cork): optimization of extraction conditions, chemical composition and antioxidant potential

Cork is the bark of the tree Quercus suber L. which ï¬ nds use in diverse applications. However, a signiï¬ cant percentage is still rejected and burned for energy production, despite containing valuable molecules for materials processing and with important biological activities. Herein, the optimization of the extraction process to obtain these molecules, using mild solvents and conditions, is described within a bioreï¬ nery perspective. The extracts were obtained by direct contact solvent extractions with water, ethanol and its mixtures for different time and temperatures, and evaluated for chemical composition, total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant properties [by DPPH radical scavenging, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays]. The results showed that the extraction process is accelerated and higher yields are achieved with the increase in temperature without chemical degradation or compromising the antioxidant capacity. For all solvents, at reï¬ ux temperature, more than 90% of the extractable material is obtained within 6 h (80% within 1 h). The highest TPC and antioxidant capacity are observed for the extracts obtained with mixtures of water and ethanol of similar volumes. The antioxidant capacity measured by DPPH, FRAP and TEAC assays was found to be proportional to the extract TPC, while ORAC is favored for higher percentages of ethanol on the extracting solvent. The main constituents of these extracts are the ellagitannins, vescalagin, castalagin and b-O-ethylvescalagin, along with other phenolic acids (mainly ellagic and gallic acids) and various ï¬ avonols. The extracts stability was monitored up to 1 year of storage with neither reduction in the antioxidant capacity nor chemical degradation. These results show that extracts with strong antioxidant potential and high content of bioactive molecules can be obtained from the processing of waste streams. Cork is a sustainable forest product and the development of new ï¬ elds of application contributes toward a zero waste cycle for a complete material bioreï¬ nery.The authors are grateful to Amorim Cork Composites for providing the cork powder and for the financing provided by the COMPETE/QREN/EU funding program through project BioActiveCork (QREN FCOMP-01-0202-FEDER-005455). Ivo M. Aroso and João P. Fernandes Fig. 6 Comparison between fresh and 1 year stored extracts for a TPC and b DPPH scavenging capacity Wood Sci Technol123 acknowledge the financial support from FCT through grants SFRH/BD/42273/2007 and SFRH/BD/73162/2010, respectively. Funding was also granted from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under Grant Agreement No. REGPOT-CT2012-316331-POLARIS and from Project ‘‘Novel smart and biomimetic materials for innovative regenerative medicine approaches (Ref.: RL1 - ABMR - NORTE-01-0124-FEDER-000016)’’ co-financed by North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (ON.2 – O Novo Norte), under the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF), through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Screen Printed Flexible Radiofrequency Identification Tag for Oxygen Monitoring

In this work, a radiofrequency identification (RFID) tag with an optical indicator for the measurement of gaseous oxygen is described. It consists of an O2 sensing membrane of PtOEP together with a full electronic system for RFID communication, all printed on a flexible substrate. The membrane is excited by an LED at 385 nm wavelength and the intensity of the luminescence generated is registered by means of a digital color detector. The output data corresponding to the red coordinate of the RGB color space is directly related to the concentration of O2, and it is sent to a microcontroller. The RFID tag is designed and implemented by screen printing on a flexible substrate for the wireless transmission of the measurement to a remote reader. It can operate in both active and passive mode, obtaining the power supply from the electromagnetic waves of the RFID reader or from a small battery, respectively. This system has been fully characterized and calibrated including temperature drifts, showing a high-resolution performance that allows measurement of very low values of oxygen content. Therefore this system is perfectly suitable for its use in modified atmosphere packaging where the oxygen concentration is reduced below 2%. As the reading of the O2 concentration inside the envelope is carried out with an external RFID reader using wireless communication, there is no need for perforations for probes or wires, so the packaging remains completely closed. With the presented device, a limit of detection of 40 ppm and a resolution as low as 0.1 ppm of O2 can be reached with a low power consumption of 3.55 mA.Junta de Andalucía (Proyecto de Excelencia P10-TIC-5997 and P10-FQM-5974)Project PYR-2012-12, CEI BioTIC (CEB09-0010 and CEI2013-P-2) from CEI program of MICINNEuropean Regional Development Funds (ERDF