Influence of synthesis on composite/laminated starchgelatine based biopolymer film properties

Biopolymer films have an increasing share in the packaging material sector due to a number of advantages: availability, cheapness, easy processing, degradability, etc. On the other hand, numerous methods have been developed to optimize their unfavorable properties (weaker mechanical characteristics, hydrophilicity, etc.). This paper examines the influence of the synthesis method on starch-gelatin films properties. The starch-gelatin film was synthesized in a ratio 1:1 as a composite film (C). The second sample was obtained by gelatin film lamination on starch film (L). Plain starch film was used as a control (0). Mechanical, structural and physico-chemical properties of importance for the application of packaging materials were tested on the obtained samples. All the obtained biopolymer films were transparent and easy to handle. FTIR spectroscopy identified all characteristic groups and bonds formed in composite and laminated films. The results showed a significant contribution of gelatin in the developed biopolymer films compared to the control sample. Gelatin incorporated as a film component or as a separate layer improved mechanical properties and water solubility. Slight differences were observed between composite and laminated films because the effect of the method of added gelatin is minimal compared to the sample without the addition of gelatin

Influence of synthesis on composite/laminated starch-gelatine based biopolymer film properties

Biopolymer films have an increasing share in the packaging material sector due to a number of advantages: availability, cheapness, easy processing, degradability, etc. On the other hand, numerous methods have been developed to optimize their unfavorable properties (weaker mechanical characteristics, hydrophilicity, etc.). This paper examines the influence of the synthesis method on starch-gelatin films properties. The starch-gelatin film was synthesized in a ratio 1:1 as a composite film (C). The second sample was obtained by gelatin film lamination on starch film (L). Plain starch film was used as a control (0). Mechanical, structural and physico-chemical properties of importance for the application of packaging materials were tested on the obtained samples. All the obtained biopolymer films were transparent and easy to handle. FTIR spectroscopy identified all characteristic groups and bonds formed in composite and laminated films. The results showed a significant contribution of gelatin in the developed biopolymer films compared to the control sample. Gelatin incorporated as a film component or as a separate layer improved mechanical properties and water solubility. Slight differences were observed between composite and laminated films because the effect of the method of added gelatin is minimal compared to the sample without the addition of gelatin

Influence of synthesis on composite/laminated starch-gelatine based biopolymer film properties

Biopolymer films have an increasing share in the packaging material sector due to a number of advantages: availability, cheapness, easy processing, degradability, etc. On the other hand, numerous methods have been developed to optimize their unfavorable properties (weaker mechanical characteristics, hydrophilicity, etc.). This paper examines the influence of the synthesis method on starch-gelatin films properties. The starch-gelatin film was synthesized in a ratio 1:1 as a composite film (C). The second sample was obtained by gelatin film lamination on starch film (L). Plain starch film was used as a control (0). Mechanical, structural and physico-chemical properties of importance for the application of packaging materials were tested on the obtained samples. All the obtained biopolymer films were transparent and easy to handle. FTIR spectroscopy identified all characteristic groups and bonds formed in composite and laminated films. The results showed a significant contribution of gelatin in the developed biopolymer films compared to the control sample. Gelatin incorporated as a film component or as a separate layer improved mechanical properties and water solubility. Slight differences were observed between composite and laminated films because the effect of the method of added gelatin is minimal compared to the sample without the addition of gelatin

Application of life cycle assessment in the packaging sector for the environmental assessment of polymer and biopolymer based materials: A review

Among many important requirements for packaging materials, environmental friendliness is a property that has become necessary for any material that needs to be competitive in the market. Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is an analytical instrument that provides a framework for analyzing the impact of products and services on the environment, i.e. provides an understanding and the possibility of comparing different products. LCA studies the use of resources and the consequent emissions of pollutants on the environment during the entire life of a product from raw materials exploitation, through production, use and treatment at the end of the life cycle - recycling and final disposal. This paper will provide an overview of the LCA results of various commercial polymer packaging materials, as well as the results of LCAs of biopolymer materials. Although LCA faces the problem of data heterogeneity, since some studies focused on individual segments of the analysis, while some related to all aspects of the process, as well with the problem of interpreting heterogeneous results, because the output parameters were arbitrarily selected by the researcher, still it could be concluded that the available LCA studies and environmental assessments support further development of biobased polymers. When comparing biopolymer materials with commercial synthetic polymers, they have advantages - lower consumption of fossil fuels and lower emission rate of greenhouse gases from the whole life cycle

DEM analysis of the granular flow in the static mixers

Statičke mešalice se koriste za mešanje pre glavnog procesa mešanja, čime se značajno smanje vreme mešanja i potrošnja energije. U ovom radu, prikazana je upotreba metode diskretnih elemenata (engl. Discrete Element Method - DEM) na modelovanje mešanja granula u različitim konfiguracijama statičkih mešača (korišćene su različite Komax i Ross konfiguracije za mešanje). Za modelovanje protoka fluida primenjena je metoda numeričke mehanike fluida (engl. Computational Fluid Dynamic - CFD), korišćenjem Ojlerovog dvofaznog modela. Povezivanjem rezultata ove dve metode dobija se pouzdan, dovoljno tačan i adekvatan model koji daje rezultate koji odgovaraju eksperimentalnim merenjima. Statičke mešalice se široko koriste u industiji prerade hrane, farmaceutskoj ili hemijskoj industriji. Ovaj tip mešalice se koristi uglavnom kao predmešač, pre glavnog mešanja, pri čemu se značajno smanjuje vreme mešanja i štedi energija. Za potrebe ovog rada, napravljene su statičke mešalice tipa Ross i Komax od providnog pleksiglasa, dizajnirane u CAD paketu, napravljene korišćenjem CNC glodalice. Pošto su napravljeni elementi bili prozirni, praćenje procesa mešanja granula je bilo i vizuelno. Praćene su i analizirane trajektorije, brzine i ubrzanja čestica, u cilju procene kvaliteta procesa mešanja. Glavni cilj ovog članka je da određivanje ponašanja granula koje se gravitaciono transportuju u različitim konfiguracijama mešalica i odabir najbolje konfiguracije mešalice, uzimajući u obzir ukupnu trajektoriju granule, broj elemenata za mešanje i kvalitet dobijene smeše. Rezultati numeričke simulacije statičkih mešalica upoređeni su sa eksperimentalnim rezultatima, a kvalitet mešanja ispitivan je kriterijumom relativne standardne devijacije. Uticaji tipa mešalice i broja elemenata za mešanje na proces mešanja su proučavani analizom varijanse (ANOVA).Static mixer is used for premixing action before the main mixing process, for significant reduction of mixing time and energy consumption. In this article, the novel numerical approach called Discrete Element Method is used for modeling of granular flow in multiple static mixer applications, while the Computational Fluid Dynamic method was chosen for fluid flow modeling. The main aim of this article is to predict the behaviour of granules being gravitationally transported in different mixer configuration and to choose the best configuration of the mixer taking into account the total particle path, the number of mixing elements and the quality of the obtained mixture. The results of the numerical simulations in the static mixers were compared to experimental results, the mixing quality is examined by relative standard deviation criterion. The effects of the mixer type and the number of mixing elements on mixing process were studied using analysis of variance (ANOVA)

DEM analysis of the granular flow in the static mixers

Statičke mešalice se koriste za mešanje pre glavnog procesa mešanja, čime se značajno smanje vreme mešanja i potrošnja energije. U ovom radu, prikazana je upotreba metode diskretnih elemenata (engl. Discrete Element Method - DEM) na modelovanje mešanja granula u različitim konfiguracijama statičkih mešača (korišćene su različite Komax i Ross konfiguracije za mešanje). Za modelovanje protoka fluida primenjena je metoda numeričke mehanike fluida (engl. Computational Fluid Dynamic - CFD), korišćenjem Ojlerovog dvofaznog modela. Povezivanjem rezultata ove dve metode dobija se pouzdan, dovoljno tačan i adekvatan model koji daje rezultate koji odgovaraju eksperimentalnim merenjima. Statičke mešalice se široko koriste u industiji prerade hrane, farmaceutskoj ili hemijskoj industriji. Ovaj tip mešalice se koristi uglavnom kao predmešač, pre glavnog mešanja, pri čemu se značajno smanjuje vreme mešanja i štedi energija. Za potrebe ovog rada, napravljene su statičke mešalice tipa Ross i Komax od providnog pleksiglasa, dizajnirane u CAD paketu, napravljene korišćenjem CNC glodalice. Pošto su napravljeni elementi bili prozirni, praćenje procesa mešanja granula je bilo i vizuelno. Praćene su i analizirane trajektorije, brzine i ubrzanja čestica, u cilju procene kvaliteta procesa mešanja. Glavni cilj ovog članka je da određivanje ponašanja granula koje se gravitaciono transportuju u različitim konfiguracijama mešalica i odabir najbolje konfiguracije mešalice, uzimajući u obzir ukupnu trajektoriju granule, broj elemenata za mešanje i kvalitet dobijene smeše. Rezultati numeričke simulacije statičkih mešalica upoređeni su sa eksperimentalnim rezultatima, a kvalitet mešanja ispitivan je kriterijumom relativne standardne devijacije. Uticaji tipa mešalice i broja elemenata za mešanje na proces mešanja su proučavani analizom varijanse (ANOVA).Static mixer is used for premixing action before the main mixing process, for significant reduction of mixing time and energy consumption. In this article, the novel numerical approach called Discrete Element Method is used for modeling of granular flow in multiple static mixer applications, while the Computational Fluid Dynamic method was chosen for fluid flow modeling. The main aim of this article is to predict the behaviour of granules being gravitationally transported in different mixer configuration and to choose the best configuration of the mixer taking into account the total particle path, the number of mixing elements and the quality of the obtained mixture. The results of the numerical simulations in the static mixers were compared to experimental results, the mixing quality is examined by relative standard deviation criterion. The effects of the mixer type and the number of mixing elements on mixing process were studied using analysis of variance (ANOVA)