Surface and microstructural failures of PET-Coated ECCS plates by salmon-polymer interaction

Producción CientíficaThe new types of knowledge-intensive, multilayer containers consist of steel plates protected against corrosion by nanometric electrolytic chromium (Cr0) and chromium oxide (Cr2O3) layers chemically bonded to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymer coating to preserve food. It was observed that after emptying the cans, the salmon adhered to the polymer coating, changing its color, and that this adhesion increased with longer storage times. This work was aimed at determining the product-container interactions and their characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD), confocal Raman and micro-Raman imaging and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The zones of adhesion showed surface changes, variations in crystallinity and microstructural degradation of the PET coating. In addition, localized damages altering the functional properties of the multilayer system were observed as microcracking in the chromium layers that protect the steel. The degradation undergone was evaluated and characterized at a surface and microstructural level to establish the failure mechanisms, which were mainly associated with the activity of the adhered muscle and its biochemical components. Finally, a recommendation is done to preserve the useful life and functionality of cans for the preservation and efficient use of resources with an impact on recycling and environmental conservancy.The authors gratefully acknowledge the Fondecyt Program of Conicyt Chile for the financial support through Grant No. 1130634 and the special contribution of University Austral of Chile

Chemical analysis and cellulose crystallinity of thermally modified Eucalyptus nitens wood from open and closed reactor systems using FTIR and X-ray crystallography

Currently there is a growing market for high quality solid wood products in Chile made from Eucalyptus nitens. Thermal modifications have been used to obtain such products out of fast growing species. The chemical and crystallinity changes in the modified wood were investigated using diffuse reflectance FTIR spectroscopy and crystalline analysis by X-ray diffraction to analyze the difference between thermal modifications processes using pressure under wet conditions (closed system) and processes without pressure under drier conditions (open system). In general, the FTIR spectra showed differences in the degradation of the hemicelluloses in the peaks of the C=O linkages, but almost no differences in the peaks that identify the lignin structure of the wood, as it was difficult to separate the different chemical reactions due to the depolymerization of lignin only observing the bands. The degree of crystallinity showed a tendency to increase at high pressure in the closed system modifications and at temperatures above 200 degrees C in the open system modifications, but no significant differences at low modification pressure and temperatures. Nonetheless, there were differences in FTIR spectra and cellulose crystallinity when directly comparing modifications with the same corrected mass loss under different conditions

Microstructure homogeneity of milled aluminum A356-Si3N4 metal matrix composite powders

A metal matrix composite was produced by co-milling an A356 aluminum alloy powder obtained by rotating electrode off-equilibrium solidification, with different mass fractions (10, 20 and 30%) of Si3N4. The structural and microstructural modifications occurring during the milling were investigated with X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD). Whole powder pattern modeling (WPPM) of the XRPD reveals the inhomogeneous nature of the material in terms of silicon content and allows the crystallite size distribution and dislocation content to be followed in detail for all phases present in the powder. Neither microscopy nor the traditional Scherrer equation can reveal such a detailed picture in this case. Short milling times are sufficient to homogenize the microstructure and to obtain nanoscale crystallites. Long milling times are advantageous to increase the dislocation density that might be favorable for subsequent sintering. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V

Exploring an oxidative bleaching treatment for Chilean bamboo: a source of cellulose for biofuel generation and the nanotech industry

Quila (Chusquea quila) is a very abundant native Chilean bamboo species. This work reports on a delignification process which can be applied to quila to produce crystalline cellulose, an important resource for obtaining cellulose nanofibres or nanocrystals. Alternatively, the crystalline cellulose can then be subjected to fermentation processes, making it a useful raw material for biofuel production. The treatment studied is an oxidative treatment at low concentration (15% v/v), for short time periods (10, 20 min) and at temperatures between 100 and 140 degrees C, which produces alpha-cellulose fibres with high crystallinity (over 70%) and low residual lignin content (< 2%). The morphology of the cellulose fibres was analysed by scanning electron microscope, revealing a smooth surface containing many fibrils. Infrared spectroscopy was used to identify functional groups, showing that almost 99% of the lignin was removed. The crystallinity index of the cellulose fibres after the reaction was up to 79%, making it an excellent raw material for processing cellulose nanofibres required by the emerging nanotech industry. Carbohydrate analysis revealed 86% glucose and 14% xylose, which makes quila a promising candidate as a precursor for biofuel generation

Development of Thin Films from Thermomechanical Pulp Nanofibers of Radiata Pine (<i>Pinus radiata</i> D. Don) for Applications in Bio-Based Nanocomposites

The main objective of this study was to develop cellulose nanofibers from the thermomechanical pulp (TMP) of Radiata Pine (Pinus radiata D. Don), and for this, a one-step micro-grinding process was used. The newly developed material was called thermomechanical pulp nanofibers (TMP-NF). In the first instance, a determination of the constituents of the TMP was carried out through a chemical characterization. Then, TMP-NFs were compared with cellulose nanofibers (CNF) by morphological analysis (Scanning Electron Microscopy, SEM, and Atomic Force Microscopy, AFM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy with Attenuated Total Reflection (FTIR-ATR). In addition, films were developed from TMP-NF and CNF using a vacuum filtration manufacturing method. For this study, 0.10, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00% dry weight of CNF and TMP-NF were used as continuous matrices without organic solvents. The films were characterized by determining their morphological, physical, surface properties, and mechanical properties. The main results showed that morphological analysis by SEM and AFM for the fractionated sample indicated a fiber diameter distribution in the range of 990-17 nm and an average length of 5.8 µm. XRD analysis showed a crystallinity index of 90.8% in the CNF, while in the TMP-NF, it was 71.2%, which was foreseeable. FTIR-ATR analysis showed the functional groups of lignin and hemicellulose present in the TMP-NF sample. The films presented apparent porosity values of 33.63 for 1.00% solids content of CNF and 33.27% for 0.25% solids content of TMP-NF. The contact angle was 61.50° for 0.50% solids content of CNF and 84.60° for 1.00% solids content of TMP-NF. Regarding the mechanical properties, the modulus of elasticity was 74.65 MPa for CNF and 36.17 MPa for TMP-NF, and the tensile strength was 1.07 MPa for CNF and 0.69 MPa for TMP-NF. Although the mechanical properties turned out to be higher in the CNF films, the TMP-NF films showed improved surface characteristics as to surface hydrophobic and apparent porosity. In addition, the easy and rapid obtaining of TMP nanofibers makes it a promising material that can be used in biologically based nanocomposites

Obtaining Nanoparticles of Chilean Natural Zeolite and its Ion Exchange with Copper Salt (Cu2+) for Antibacterial Applications

This article describes the production of nanoparticles of Chilean natural zeolite, using three size reduction methods: Ball mill, microgrinding, and microfluidization. Morphological characterization of samples indicated an average diameter of 37.2 +/- 15.8 nm of the zeolite particles. The size reduction and chemical treatments did not affect the morphology or integrity of the zeolite. An increase of the zeolite samples' Si/Al ratio was observed after the acid treatment and was confirmed by SEM-EDX analysis. Moreover, the effectiveness of the copper salt ion exchange (Cu2+) to the zeolite nanoparticles was analyzed by SEM-EDX. XRD analysis indicated that clinoptilolite and mordenite are the main phases of Chilean natural zeolite, and the crystalline structure was not affected by the modification processes. The FTIR characterization showed the presence of chemical bonds of copper with the zeolite nanoparticle framework. The ion-exchanged zeolite nanoparticles were evaluated for antibacterial behavior by the disc diffusion method. Additionally, the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration were obtained. Microbiological assays with copper-exchanged nanozeolites showed an antimicrobial activity with a bactericidal effect against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, which are the primary pathogens of food and are also resistant to multiple drugs. In this study, a new application for natural nanozeolites is demonstrated, as the incorporated copper ions (Cu2+) in nanozeolites registered a productive antibacterial activity

Characterizing Teline monspessulana as a Green Sustainable Source of Biofibers

Invasive Teline monspessulana can be an important source of biomass to supply fibers for the rising demand of cellulose bioproducts, especially for the development of advanced materials. Its fibers can be extracted via a thermo-alkaline process at 170 degrees C with 40 g/L of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and characterized by crystallographic, thermo-analytical, and mechanical techniques. The cellulose proportion in the wood of this species is approximately 47.6 wt.% +/- 1.05 wt.%. However, its fibers are relatively small, and they have a wide range of aspect ratios from 25 to 287, with an average diameter of 9.3 mu m +/- 2.5 mu m. These characteristics and mechanical properties make the fibers unattractive for the textile and paper industries. Meanwhile, crystalline cellulose was prevalent in the monoclinic phase, with a crystalline index and crystalline portion of 78 and 41%, respectively, observing crystal domains of c.a. 3.2 nm. Nanoindentation tests revealed favorable values of elastic modulus and hardness of c.a. 16 GPa and 0.28 GPa, respectively. Thus, this bioresource is expected to see promising applications in materials engineering, such as reinforcement in material composites, in drug delivery carrier, and electronic devices, among other biomultifunctional components

Carbonate-beta-Cyclodextrin-Based Nanosponge as a Nanoencapsulation System for Piperine: Physicochemical Characterization

Piperine (PIP) is a nitrogenous substance whose application in food is still limited due to its low solubility in water, low bioavailability, and high pungency. Nanosponges (NS) can selectively capture, transport, and release a wide variety of substances and mask unpleasant flavors. The objective of this study was to evaluate carbonate-beta-cyclodextrin-based NS formation as a nanoencapsulation system for PIP. The NS were formed with a cyclic oligosaccharide (beta-cyclodextrin) to a cross-linker (diphenyl carbonate) at molar ratios of 1:2, 1:6, and 1:10 by the solvent method at 90, 120, and 150 degrees C for 5 h. Only molar ratios of 1:6 and 1:10 formed NS. The NS 1:6 at 90 degrees C with loading efficiency of 42.6% +/- 1.1 was the best alternative for loading PIP in the NS matrix because it had the lowest absorbance of cyclic carbonates and required the lowest amount of cross-linker in its formation. The ability of the cyclodextrin-based NS to encapsulate PIP was confirmed by FTIR studies and hyperspectral FTIR images, TGA, and DSC, showing that PIP is dispersed, not forming large clusters, or concentrating in a single zone. NS are an effective PIP encapsulation system and protect the bioactive properties of the PIP

Assessing the effectiveness of green synthetized silver nanoparticles with Cryptocarya alba extracts for remotion of the organic pollutant methylene blue dye

In the present work, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthetized with Cryptocarya alba (Peumo) leaf extract were studied. The fabrication method was fast, low cost, and eco-friendly, and the final properties of AgNPs were determined by experimental parameters, such as AgNO3 and Peumo extract concentrations used. Setting suitable experimental conditions, crystalline AgNPs with apparent spherical forms and average diameter around 3.5nm were obtained. In addition, the capability of synthesized Peumo-AgNPs to remove methylene blue dye (MB) in aqueous solution as well as their catalytic effectiveness was also investigated. The results showed that green synthesized AgNPs can remove fast and effectively the MB dye from aqueous medium by itself, but better results were found acting like catalyst by using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) in the reaction. In addition, this green nanomaterial can be recycling several times maintaining initial properties for removal of MB. Thus, AgNPs synthetized with Peumo leaf extracts could be an excellent catalyst candidate for degradation of blue methylene dye in chemical industries