The majority of countries worldwide are making an effort to reduce their mark on the planet, and cutting down on plastics is an obvious place to start because of the availability of alternatives, and due to the large amount of waste they leave behind.
One of the largest sources of single use plastics is packaging. There is a large amount of academic and industrial research into this area. Stable Micro Systems equipment is a regular feature of publications due to the need for mechanical property analysis; one of the drawbacks of biodegradable polymers is their reduced structural integrity. Consequently, Texture Analysers are necessary to perform tests for both R&D and quality control, once the product has reached production. The following are a selection of recent publications into this interesting and important field, specifically those focussing on polymer films.
Scientists from the University Putra Malaysia have been researching tapioca starch films reinforced with microcrystalline cellulose for potential food packaging applications. This work was directed towards developing biodegradable films from a biopolymer that is sustainable and environmentally friendly, particularly tapioca starch. They used their TA.XTplus Texture Analyser to perform tensile tests on film samples. The ideal filler addition was found as a result of this study, resulting in the highest performance of films’ mechanical and barrier properties. Thermal properties were also improved. In conclusion, films produced in this study exhibited improved properties and have the potential to be used for food packaging applications. Read more
Researchers from the Federal University of Rio Grande have been investigating the use of different proteins to produce biodegradable films and blends. The synthesis of new biomaterials with optimised performance and properties is a constantly expanding area in food packaging technology. A significant advancement in this area has occurred with the synthesis of blends consisting of natural polymers from different origins. This class of material has aroused great interest among researchers in recent decades because it is a simple and practical alternative, resulting in materials with improved characteristics for application in packaging.
The objective of this study was to develop, characterise and evaluate biodegradable films produced from different proteins and their blends. They used their TA.XTplus Texture Analyser to carry out tensile tests on film samples to give tensile strength and percentage elongation. One film formulation stood out by presenting good mechanical and thermal resistance along with complete biodegradability in less than 10 days, proving to be the most promising blend for the development of sustainable materials for food packaging. Read more
Scientists from the University of Santiago de Compostela have been researching environmentally friendly films containing bacterial cellulose, chitosan and polyvinyl alcohol, particularly the effect of water activity on barrier, mechanical and optical properties. The interest in developing new materials intended for food packaging based on bacterial cellulose has been growing in recent years. Flexible and transparent films from bacterial cellulose-chitosan-polyvinyl alcohol have shown excellent UV-barrier properties.
However, this material interacts with ambient moisture modifying its water activity due to its hydrophilic nature. In this work, a study was carried out to evaluate the changes caused by the water activity. They used their TA.XTplus Texture Analyser to perform tensile tests on film samples. Results showed a plasticising effect of water molecules increasing the water vapour permeability of the samples, percentage of elongation and distance to burst. The increase of the water activity decreased the Young’s modulus and tensile strength. The values of the UV-barrier were maintained at the wide range of water activity. Consequently, water molecules do not affect the UV-barrier properties of the films. Read more
Researchers from Tezpur University have been investigating the valorisation of pumpkin seeds and peels into biodegradable packaging films. Pumpkin seeds and peels are waste generated from the pumpkin processing industry and having the potential to utilise for biodegradable film development. Such biodegradable films were developed with defatted pumpkin seeds and pumpkin peels. They used their TA.HDplus Texture Analyser to measure the tensile strength and elongation at break of films. The study showed that co-products of the pumpkin processing industry can successfully be used for developing biodegradable films. Read more
For help putting your packaging to the test, contact Stable Micro Systems today.
For more information on how to measure texture, please visit the Texture Analysis Properties section on our website.
The TA.XTplus texture analyser is part of a family of texture analysis instruments and equipment from Stable Micro Systems. An extensive portfolio of specialist attachments is available to measure and analyse the textural properties of a huge range of food products. Our technical experts can also custom design instrument fixtures according to individual specifications.No-one understands texture analysis like we do!
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