1,721,148 research outputs found
Optimizing pallet stretch wrapping protocol for consistent comparison of stretch film transport performance
No full textNew legislation, plastic taxes, and eco-modulation will soon require stretch films around pallets to contain multiple recycled polyethylene (PE). To study the impact on stretch film performance during transport, the CORNET project MultiRec (HBC.2023.0176) conducts transport simulations with stretch films varying in recycled content and recycling cycles. For consistent comparisons, a standard pallet was defined for industrial relevance. A Europallet with six column-stacked double-walled cardboard boxes filled with plastic pellets was chosen to achieve a packaging density of 192.2 kg/m³, in line with ASTM D4169 recommendations for average shipping density, resulting in a total load weight of 332 kg. The pallet is finished with cardboard corner profiles and a PE top sheet. A 300% pre-stretch was set on the wrapper based on tensile tests and datasheet values. The wrapper was then adjusted to ensure 300% stretch across the entire pallet, verified by measuring the weight of the wrappings at the base, centre, and top. This resulted in the following settings for the industrial turntable wrapper (Spinny S350; EFFE 3 TI srl): a rotation speed of 75%, an up/down speed setting of 20, and a film tension setting of 18. In the final step, the wrapping pattern was optimized by testing various wrapping patterns while keeping the total number of layers constant at 26. This optimization involved subjecting the pallets, 10 minutes after being stretch-wrapped, to a horizontal collision using a swing that comes to a sudden stop, resulting in a brief but intense acceleration peak (20 ms, max. 15 g). The relative displacement of the layers was determined by video analysis using open-source tracking software (https://physlets.org/tracker/), with minimal displacement considered favourable. This preliminary study describes best practices that can be more broadly applied to systematically setting industrial wrappers
Bioplastics in food packaging applications: seal, gas barrier and mechanical performance
No full textBioplastics in food packaging applications: seal, gas barrier and mechanical performance
No full textOptimizing pallet stretch wrapping protocol for consistent comparison of stretch film transport performance
No full textNew legislation, plastic taxes, and eco-modulation will soon require stretch films around pallets to contain multiple recycled polyethylene (PE). To study the impact on stretch film performance during transport, the CORNET project MultiRec (HBC.2023.0176) conducts transport simulations with stretch films varying in recycled content and recycling cycles. For consistent comparisons, a standard pallet was defined for industrial relevance. A Europallet with six column-stacked double-walled cardboard boxes filled with plastic pellets was chosen to achieve a packaging density of 192.2 kg/m³, in line with ASTM D4169 recommendations for average shipping density, resulting in a total load weight of 332 kg. The pallet is finished with cardboard corner profiles and a PE top sheet. A 300% pre-stretch was set on the wrapper based on tensile tests and datasheet values. The wrapper was then adjusted to ensure 300% stretch across the entire pallet, verified by measuring the weight of the wrappings at the base, centre, and top. This resulted in the following settings for the industrial turntable wrapper (Spinny S350; EFFE 3 TI srl): a rotation speed of 75%, an up/down speed setting of 20, and a film tension setting of 18. In the final step, the wrapping pattern was optimized by testing various wrapping patterns while keeping the total number of layers constant at 26. This optimization involved subjecting the pallets, 10 minutes after being stretch-wrapped, to a horizontal collision using a swing that comes to a sudden stop, resulting in a brief but intense acceleration peak (20 ms, max. 15 g). The relative displacement of the layers was determined by video analysis using open-source tracking software (https://physlets.org/tracker/), with minimal displacement considered favourable. This preliminary study describes best practices that can be more broadly applied to systematically setting industrial wrappers
Evaluation of the functionality of compostable bioplastics in food applications
No full textAs the focus in the food packaging industry changes more and more towards a sustainable and circular economy, food producers face challenges to make their packaging either reusable, recyclable or compostable. Over ten years of research on bioplastics have led to a variety of new materials for diverse applications. In 2021 the total global production of bioplastics was 2.41 million tonnes of which roughly 65% are biodegradable and over half of these materials are used in food packaging. While there is still some scepticism towards bioplastics due to dubious labelling (biodegradable vs. compostable), potential contamination of the recycling stream and the high cost of low volumes, the market and application range for bioplastics is expected to increase to 7.59 million tonnes by 2026. However, the functionality or the applicability of bioplastics as food packaging has not been widely investigated and in-depth research is necessary to promote the speedy implementation of these materials in new applications. In the past the emphasis was always on bioplastics based on materials such as polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose and starch. But in the past years new materials have become commercially available, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), polybutylene succinates (PBS) and blends made of compostable bioplastics, also used as papercoatings. In the context of the Belgian TETRA (Technology Transfer) project “BIO-FUN”, a new generation of commercially available biodegradable plastics was evaluated for its seal performance, gas- and water vapour transmission rate, and mechanical properties to gain more insight in employment of these different materials in food packaging applications. After this broad screening was conducted, several case studies were launched to perform an in-depth analysis with a specific food application in mind. In this presentation these case studies are highlighted.VLAIO and members of the supervisory group of BIO-FU
Seal materials in flexible plastic food packaging: A review
No full textFlexible packaging has many advantages in the food industry, arising from low weight,
formability, multilayer complexity and cost. Heat sealing is a very efficient technique to close flexible
food packaging. Currently, many thermoplastic materials are used in seal layers. A seal can be formed
when these materials are heated and brought into contact, thereafter polymer chains diffuse across the
seal interface and entangle. Hydrogen bonds, polar and ionic interactions are molecular forces that can
come into play, depending on the thermoplastic materials that are used in the seal layer. Bonds between
identical polymers, referred to as autohesion, are formed in pouch applications (e.g. horizontal and
vertical form-fill-seal packages). In lidding applications, the flexible film is sealed to a rigid cup, tray
or bottle, whereby bonds can be formed between non-identical polymers because the materials are often
provided by different suppliers. All heat seal technologies imply heating of seal layers but differ in the
heating principle. In the food industry and in most scientific seal studies, the seals of mono- and
multilayered packaging are mainly formed by conductive heating. Recently, the use of emerging
technologies, such as ultrasonic and laser heating, are increasingly described in recent papers. Applied
seals are characterized by strength after a specified cooling time. Immediately after heating, this strength
is referred to as hot tack. A good seal performance is crucial to guarantee food safety and quality.
Besides strength, tightness is important to prevent food degradation, caused by microorganisms and
external gases; and to keep aromatic gases inside the package. This review aims to give a literature
overview which can support stakeholders in the food industry to improve and optimize the material
selection in flexible packaging, in order to obtain seals with desired tightness and strength. Heat seal
studies on materials and seal technology of flexible food packaging, such as pouches and lidding films,
are considered. Scientific data is categorized from a materials’ perspective, based on chemical structure,
which is revealed by chemical and thermal analysis. A majority of the seal studies is categorized in a
first section on polyolefins as seal layers. The following sections describe the seal functionality of i)
ethylene copolymers, such as ionomers, and ii) polyesters, such as poly(ethylene terephthalate),
pol(lactic acid) and poly(butylene succinate). The role of plasticizers, fillers and other additives in the
seal performance is also described. Finally, material properties, such as chain length and melting
temperature (Tm), as underlying causes of seal performance, are summarized
Alternative approach for polystyrene biodegradation by selected bacteria
No full textPlastics pose a growing concern towards the environment. Mitigating actions are required as most of them do not report significant biodegradation. Biodegradable plastics are proposed as alternatives. Unfortunately, it remains difficult to compete with traditional petroleum-based polymers. Besides technical and economic obstacles, intrinsic biodegradability also shows some negative effects. For applications like food packages, biodegradable polymers are single-use items. Recycling of Biodegradable polymers is difficult and it contaminates current recycling stream. Reuse and recycling of plastics saves a lot of resources and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These savings will be reduced by increased use of biodegradable plastics. It seems a catch 22: traditional petroleum-based plastics are not biodegradable and accumulate in nature, but their biodegradable alternatives exhibit other adverse effects on the environment by increased use of resources and GHG emissions. An alternative approach could be to search for specific microorganisms capable of degrading current petroleum-based plastics. While a practical method to apply them is not available yet, a first requirement is to search for useful microorganisms. This knowledge can contribute to the development of alternative biotechnological solutions for the environmental threats posed by plastics. In this study the extraction and enrichment of polystyrene (PS) consuming bacteria is reported. After 2 enrichment cycles, five bacteria were identified using PS as their sole carbon source. In a subsequent mass loss experiment over 5 months period on PS film material, a small loss (0.5 wt.%) was detected. These results confirm bacterial degradation of PS. As biodegradation rates are relatively small, more research is required to make it applicable for plastic waste remediation
Evaluation of the functionality of compostable bioplastics in food applications
No full textAs the focus in the food packaging industry changes more and more towards a sustainable and circular economy, food producers face challenges to make their packaging either reusable, recyclable or compostable. Over ten years of research on bioplastics have led to a variety of new materials for diverse applications. In 2021 the total global production of bioplastics was 2.41 million tonnes of which roughly 65% are biodegradable and over half of these materials are used in food packaging. While there is still some scepticism towards bioplastics due to dubious labelling (biodegradable vs. compostable), potential contamination of the recycling stream and the high cost of low volumes, the market and application range for bioplastics is expected to increase to 7.59 million tonnes by 2026. However, the functionality or the applicability of bioplastics as food packaging has not been widely investigated and in-depth research is necessary to promote the speedy implementation of these materials in new applications. In the past the emphasis was always on bioplastics based on materials such as polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose and starch. But in the past years new materials have become commercially available, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), polybutylene succinates (PBS) and blends made of compostable bioplastics, also used as papercoatings. In the context of the Belgian TETRA (Technology Transfer) project “BIO-FUN”, a new generation of commercially available biodegradable plastics was evaluated for its seal performance, gas- and water vapour transmission rate, and mechanical properties to gain more insight in employment of these different materials in food packaging applications. After this broad screening was conducted, several case studies were launched to perform an in-depth analysis with a specific food application in mind. In this presentation these case studies are highlighted.VLAIO and members of the supervisory group of BIO-FU
Alternative approach for polystyrene biodegradation by selected bacteria
No full textPlastics pose a growing concern towards the environment. Mitigating actions are required as most of them do not report significant biodegradation. Biodegradable plastics are proposed as alternatives. Unfortunately, it remains difficult to compete with traditional petroleum-based polymers. Besides technical and economic obstacles, intrinsic biodegradability also shows some negative effects. For applications like food packages, biodegradable polymers are single-use items. Recycling of Biodegradable polymers is difficult and it contaminates current recycling stream. Reuse and recycling of plastics saves a lot of resources and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These savings will be reduced by increased use of biodegradable plastics. It seems a catch 22: traditional petroleum-based plastics are not biodegradable and accumulate in nature, but their biodegradable alternatives exhibit other adverse effects on the environment by increased use of resources and GHG emissions. An alternative approach could be to search for specific microorganisms capable of degrading current petroleum-based plastics. While a practical method to apply them is not available yet, a first requirement is to search for useful microorganisms. This knowledge can contribute to the development of alternative biotechnological solutions for the environmental threats posed by plastics. In this study the extraction and enrichment of polystyrene (PS) consuming bacteria is reported. After 2 enrichment cycles, five bacteria were identified using PS as their sole carbon source. In a subsequent mass loss experiment over 5 months period on PS film material, a small loss (0.5 wt.%) was detected. These results confirm bacterial degradation of PS. As biodegradation rates are relatively small, more research is required to make it applicable for plastic waste remediation
Seal materials in flexible plastic food packaging: A review
No full textFlexible packaging has many advantages in the food industry, arising from low weight,
formability, multilayer complexity and cost. Heat sealing is a very efficient technique to close flexible
food packaging. Currently, many thermoplastic materials are used in seal layers. A seal can be formed
when these materials are heated and brought into contact, thereafter polymer chains diffuse across the
seal interface and entangle. Hydrogen bonds, polar and ionic interactions are molecular forces that can
come into play, depending on the thermoplastic materials that are used in the seal layer. Bonds between
identical polymers, referred to as autohesion, are formed in pouch applications (e.g. horizontal and
vertical form-fill-seal packages). In lidding applications, the flexible film is sealed to a rigid cup, tray
or bottle, whereby bonds can be formed between non-identical polymers because the materials are often
provided by different suppliers. All heat seal technologies imply heating of seal layers but differ in the
heating principle. In the food industry and in most scientific seal studies, the seals of mono- and
multilayered packaging are mainly formed by conductive heating. Recently, the use of emerging
technologies, such as ultrasonic and laser heating, are increasingly described in recent papers. Applied
seals are characterized by strength after a specified cooling time. Immediately after heating, this strength
is referred to as hot tack. A good seal performance is crucial to guarantee food safety and quality.
Besides strength, tightness is important to prevent food degradation, caused by microorganisms and
external gases; and to keep aromatic gases inside the package. This review aims to give a literature
overview which can support stakeholders in the food industry to improve and optimize the material
selection in flexible packaging, in order to obtain seals with desired tightness and strength. Heat seal
studies on materials and seal technology of flexible food packaging, such as pouches and lidding films,
are considered. Scientific data is categorized from a materials’ perspective, based on chemical structure,
which is revealed by chemical and thermal analysis. A majority of the seal studies is categorized in a
first section on polyolefins as seal layers. The following sections describe the seal functionality of i)
ethylene copolymers, such as ionomers, and ii) polyesters, such as poly(ethylene terephthalate),
pol(lactic acid) and poly(butylene succinate). The role of plasticizers, fillers and other additives in the
seal performance is also described. Finally, material properties, such as chain length and melting
temperature (Tm), as underlying causes of seal performance, are summarized
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