Development of electrospun active films of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) by the incorporation of cyclodextrin inclusion complexes containing oregano essential oil

[EN] This paper reports the development of biodegradable active packaging films of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) by the incorporation of alpha- and gamma-cyclodextrins (alpha-CD and gamma-CDs) containing oregano essential oil (OEO). Herein, both the kneading method (KM) and freeze-drying method (FDM) were first explored for the preparation of alpha-CD:OEO and gamma-CD:OEO inclusion complexes at host:guest ratios of 80:20 wt/wt and 85:15 wt/wt, respectively. The results showed that KM was the most efficient method for the encapsulation of OEO in the CDs cavity in terms of simplicity and rapidity, while it was also yielded the inclusion complexes with the highest antimicrobial and antioxidant performance. The alpha-CD:OEO and gamma-CD:OEO inclusion complexes obtained by KM were thereafter incorporated at 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 wt% into PHBV fibres by electrospinning and annealed at 160 degrees C to produce contact transparent films. It was observed that the optimal concentration of alpha-CD:OEO and gamma-CD:OEO inclusion complexes for homogeneous and continuous film formation was attained at contents of 15 and 25 wt%, respectively. Higher antimicrobial and antioxidant activities were obtained for the gamma-CD:OEO inclusion complexes due to the greater encapsulation efficiency of OEO in gamma-CD, resulting in PHBV films with good performance for up to 15 days. This aspect, together with their improved thermal stability and mechanical strength, give interesting applications to these biopolymer films in the design of active-releasing packaging materials to maintain the physical, chemical, and microbiological characteristics of food products.The authors would like to thank the Unidad Asociada IATA-UJI "Plastics Technology" and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICI) project RTI 2018-097249-B-C21 and the H2020 EU project YPACK (reference number 773872) for funding. Kelly J. Figueroa-Lopez and S. Torres-Giner are recipients of a Grisolia scholarship (Ref. 0001426013N810001A201) of the Valencian Government (GVA) and a Juan de la Cierva-Incorporaci.on contract (IJCI-2016-29675) from MICI, respectively.Figueroa-Lopez, K.; Enescu, D.; Torres-Giner, S.; Cabedo, L.; Cerqueira, M.; Pastrana, L.; Fuciños, P.... (2020). Development of electrospun active films of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) by the incorporation of cyclodextrin inclusion complexes containing oregano essential oil. Food Hydrocolloids. 108:1-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2020.106013S118108Ashori, A., Jonoobi, M., Ayrilmis, N., Shahreki, A., & Fashapoyeh, M. A. (2019). Preparation and characterization of polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHBV) as green composites using nano reinforcements. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 136, 1119-1124. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.06.181Aytac, Z., Ipek, S., Durgun, E., Tekinay, T., & Uyar, T. (2017). 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The influence of electrospinning parameters and solvent selection on the morphology and diameter of polyimide nanofibers

Polyimide (PI) fibers display excellent thermal and mechanical performance; they have been recently investigated to fabricate hydrophobic membranes (mats) for high-performance applications. We studied the effect of electrospinning processing parameters and solvent selection on the morphology and the diameter of PI fibers. 11 different solvents and 22 solvent systems able to dissolve PI were located in a Teas graph with the aim of building the solubility-electrospinnability map for this material. PI solutions prepared with various solvents were electrospun at different electrospinning process parameters according to a 34–1 fractional factorial design of experiments. Polymer concentration and applied voltage were the most significant factors to create thin and uniform fibers. More homogeneous fibers and reproducible electrospinning process were obtained by using polymer concentrations above 15 wt%. However, all solutions showed different morphological evolution according to the solvents used. Based on the solubility–spinnability region settled for this PI, non-woven mats were obtained with rough surface fiber morphology and high water contact angle, suitable for applications such as hydrophobic membranes for oil-water separation. © 2017 Elsevier Lt

Heat transfer modelling of encapsulated phase change materials for food packaging

3rd IIR International Conference on Sustainability and the Cold Chain, ICCC 2014, London, , 23-/06/2014 - 25/06/2014International audienceTemperature abuses in cold chain can lead to deterioration in food quality and safety. Packaging can play an active role in temperature controlling of perishable products. However, standard materials for product packaging (plastic, cardboard or wood) usually have limited thermal buffering capacity. One possible approach to enhance this capacity and maintain the product at a desired temperature is thermal energy storage by phase change materials-PCM. In the present work, the heat transfer behaviour of a plate made from encapsulated PCM (Rubitherm RT5 encapsulated in polycaprolactone PCL) was studied. The enthalpy method was chosen to model the phase transition of the PCM. The model was validated by experimental cooling and heating processes, under controlled air temperature conditions. The numerical result demonstrated a better thermal capacitance of the encapsulated PCM material compared to a standard one (cardboard)

Superhydrophobic bilayer coating based on annealed electrospun ultrathin poly("-caprolactone) fibers and electrosprayed nanostructured silica microparticles for easy emptying packaging applications

A coating rendering superhydrophobic properties to low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films used in packaging applications was herein generated by means of the electrohydrodynamic processing (EHDP) technique. To this end, electrospun ultrathin poly("-caprolactone) (PCL) fibers, followed by electrosprayed nanostructured silica (SiO2) microparticles, were deposited on top of the LDPE film. Various electrospinning and electrospraying times were tested and optimized followed by a thermal post-treatment to provide physical adhesion between the bilayer coating and the LDPE substrate. The morphology, hydrophobicity, permeance to limonene, and thermal stability of the resultant nanostructured coatings were characterized. It was observed that by controlling both the deposition time of the electrospun ultrathin PCL fibers and the electrosprayed SiO2 microparticles, as well as the conditions of the thermal post-treatment, effective superhydrophobic coatings were developed onto the LDPE films. The resultant multilayer presented a hierarchical micro/nanostructured surface with an apparent contact angle of 157° and a sliding angle of 8°. The addition of silica reduced, to some extent, the limonene (aroma) barrier, likely due to the increased surface-to-volume ratio, which allowed permeant sorption to occur but improved the thermal stability of the LDPE/PCL film. As a result, the developed multilayer system of LDPE/PCL/SiO2 has significant potential for use in easy-to-empty packaging applications of high water activity products. © 2018 by the authors

Etude de transfert thermique d'une plaque de submicro MCP encapsulé pour l'application de l'emballage alimentaire

International audienceIn recent studies, encapsulated phase change materials (PCM) were developed as novel materials for food packaging because of their improved thermal insulation capacity. The PCMs (often liquid in room temperature) are encapsulated in a shell material so as they can be practically handled. In this work, the thermal behaviour of an encapsulated PCM material (Rubitherm RT5 encapsulated in polycaprolactone PCL) with two different PCM mass fractions was studied. The model was validated by experimental cooling and heating processes, under controlled air temperature conditions. The numerical result demonstrated a better thermal buffering capacity of the encapsulated PCM material compared to a standard one (cardboard)

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Nanocomposite films based on poly(lactic acid)-poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PLA-PHB) blends and synthesized cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) or surfactant modified cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), as bio-based reinforcement, were prepared by melt extrusion followed by film forming. The obtained nanocomposites are intended for short-term food packaging. Thus, the mechanical, optical, barrier and wettability properties were studied. Functionalized CNCs contribute to enhance the interfacial adhesion between PLA and PHB, leading to improved mechanical stiffness and increased film stretchability. The synergic effects of the PHB and CNCs on the PLA barrier properties were confirmed by increases in oxygen barrier properties and reductions in surface wettability of the nanocomposites. In addition, the measurements of the viscosity molecular weight for ternary systems showed practically no degradation of PLA and smaller degradation of PHB during processing due to nanocrystal presence. The disintegration process in composting conditions of PLA was delayed by the addition of PHB, while CNC speeded it up. PLA-PHB-CNCs formulations showed enhanced mechanical performance, improved water resistance, reduced oxygen and UV-light transmission, as well as appropriate disintegration in compost suggesting possible applications as packaging materials. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain (MAT2011-28468-C02-01 and MAT2011-28468-C02-02). M.P. Arrieta thanks Generalitat Valenciana (Spain) for Santiago Grisolia Fellowship (GRISOLIA/2011/007) and Universitat Politecnica de Valencia for the Development Support Programme PAID-00-12 (SP20120120). The Authors acknowledge Gesenu S.p.a. for compost supply. Authors gratefully thank Prof. Alfonso Jimenez (University of Alicante, Spain) and Prof. Maria Dolores Salvador Moya (Universitat Politecnica de Valencia) for their assistance with OTR measurements and optical microscope-EDF measurements, respectively.Arrieta, MP.; Fortunati, E.; Dominici, F.; Rayón Encinas, E.; López Martínez, J.; Kenny, JM. (2014). PLA-PHB/cellulose based films: Mechanical, barrier and disintegration properties. Polymer Degradation and Stability. 107:139-149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2014.05.010S13914910