Effect of biaxial stretching of nanolayered poly(ethylene furanoate) (PEF) films on gas barrier properties

OnlineFood packaging films must be reinvented in order to meet the new ecological requirements and challenges. In particular, efforts have been directed to reduce the use of petrochemical polymers and to develop biobased and/or biodegradable polymers. Among those, Poly(ethylene furanoate) (PEF) is a new promising biopolymer with high gas barrier and good mechanical properties, but its high price limits currently its industrial applications. Its combination with another polymer is thus of great interest and film coextrusion could be a relevant processing method for PEF. Nanolayer coextrusion can create hundreds to thousands micro or nanolayers and has been shown to improve the gas barrier properties of some polymers due to various confinement effect [1,2]. In this study, a new grade of PEF, developed by AVA Biochem in the scope of the H2020 Mypack program, has been combined with PET using nanolayer coextrusion. Multilayered films with different PEF layer thicknesses (varying from the micrometer down to the nanometer scale) have been successfully processed. AFM observations have shown the continuity of the PEF layers with individual thicknesses as thin as 40 nm. PEF was amorphous at the end of the coextrusion step and post-thermal annealing was necessary to get a crystallinity degree of 14%. Surprisingly, the gas barrier properties were not improved by the crystallization step. While PEF alone is too brittle to withstand any deformation, it was possible to biaxially stretch amorphous PEF/PET multilayered films with draw ratio as high as 4,5 x 4,5. After a subsequent crystallization, an improvement of a factor 4, compared to the bulk PEF, has been obtained for the gas barrier properties.Projet européen Mypac

Relationship Between Crystallization, Mechanical and Gas Barrier Properties of Poly(ethylene furanoate) (PEF) in Multinanolayered PLA-PEF and PET-PEF Films

onlineFood packaging films must be reinvented in order to answer the new demanding ecological requirements. Biobased and/or biodegradable polymers appear as an interesting alternative to reduce petroleum dependence and carbon dioxide emissions. Poly(ethylene furanoate) (PEF) appears today as a new promising biopolymer thanks to its good gas barrier and mechanical properties, despite its high price that could limit its industrial applications. Its combination with other polymers is thus of great interest and for the first time, film coextrusion process is used to create PLA-PEF and PET-PEF multi-micro/nano layered films. A new PEF grade developed by AVA Biochem in the H2020 Mypack program, has been used and firstly analysed in terms of melt processability, mechanical, thermal and gas barrier properties. Our major results confirmed the good gas barrier as well as mechanical properties of amorphous PEF. Post-extrusion PEF bulk thermal crystallization led to very brittle material making gas barrier measurements impossible. Micro/nanolayered PLA-PEF and PET-PEF films with different PEF layer thicknesses have been processed and post-extrusion annealing treatment was carried out. The relationship between crystallinity, mechanical and gas barrier properties will be investigated.Projet européen Mypac

Recent advances in hydrothermal carbonisation:from tailored carbon materials and biochemicals to applications and bioenergy

Introduced in the literature in 1913 by Bergius, who at the time was studying biomass coalification, hydrothermal carbonisation, as many other technologies based on renewables, was forgotten during the "industrial revolution". It was rediscovered back in 2005, on the one hand, to follow the trend set by Bergius of biomass to coal conversion for decentralised energy generation, and on the other hand as a novel green method to prepare advanced carbon materials and chemicals from biomass in water, at mild temperature, for energy storage and conversion and environmental protection. In this review, we will present an overview on the latest trends in hydrothermal carbonisation including biomass to bioenergy conversion, upgrading of hydrothermal carbons to fuels over heterogeneous catalysts, advanced carbon materials and their applications in batteries, electrocatalysis and heterogeneous catalysis and finally an analysis of the chemicals in the liquid phase as well as a new family of fluorescent nanomaterials formed at the interface between the liquid and solid phases, known as hydrothermal carbon nanodots

AVA Biochem, Pioneer in Industrial Biobased Furan Chemistry

Swiss-based AVA Biochem AG is the global leader in the industrial production and sale of the bio-based platform chemical 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), a renewable and non-toxic alternative to a range of petroleum-based materials. 5-HMF has a broad range of applications in the chemical, pharmaceutical and food industries. Since 2014 AVA Biochem has been producing high-purity 5-HMF for research purposes and specialty chemicals markets, as well as technical-grade 5-HMF for bulk chemistry applications. AVA Biochem's own R&D department also develops the downstream chemistry of 5-HMF and thus opens the door to biobased furan chemistry on an industrial scale