Using Bacterial Cellulose Scraps and HPMC to Make a Stronger Film For Food Packaging

Using Bacterial Cellulose Scraps and HPMC to Make a Stronger Film For Food Packaging

A vegetarian alternative to gelatin, HPMC (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose) is a standardized industrial-grade cellulose that comes from pine and spruce trees.hpmc scraps It has a number of uses, including the production of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical capsules.hpmc scraps These are able to contain many different compounds, from vitamins and minerals to plant powder extracts. The capsules have an added benefit: they can be sealed shut, a factor that helps to prevent tampering.

Despite the many advantages of HPMC, it has low mechanical strength compared to films made from petroleum-based materials.hpmc scraps Adding bacterial cellulose nanocrystals to HPMC can significantly improve the film's performance, which could open the door to new applications. Researchers from Sao Paulo State University have used a combination of bacterial cellulose scraps and HPMC to produce a strong biodegradable film for food packaging that outperforms plastics derived from petroleum. Their work is published in the journal Applied Material & Interfaces.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the additive, scientists performed several tests on samples of HPMC film with and without oleic acid.hpmc scraps The results showed that oleic acid increased the tensile strength and heat sealability of HPMC films, but it also reduced their flexibility and transparency. The addition of oleic acid also changed the gelling behavior of HPMC, with more homogeneous batches showing a hydration process that is better predicted than heterogeneous ones.

The researchers analyzed the properties of HPMC granules obtained by wet granulation and deposited on a substrate, which were then coated with an oleic-based dispersion.hpmc scraps They found that the coatings were more stable than those of HPMC alone, with a higher compressibility index and less water permeability. The research team is now looking into ways to further optimize the coatings and the underlying films to achieve high-performance, environmentally-friendly HPMC-based food packaging.

Researchers at Sao Paulo State University in Brazil have reused bacterial cellulose scraps usually thrown away by manufacturers of wound dressings to make a stronger, biodegradable film for food packaging that far outperforms plastics derived from oil.hpmc scraps The study was published in the journal Applied Material & interfaces.

To produce the film, the researchers mixed 1.hpmc scraps 9 g of a bacterial cellulose powder with 5 g of HPMC in a ball mill. The resulting mixture was dried to remove water, then subjected to pre-oxidation at 800degC and calcination at 1300degC for 2 hours. Calcium carbonate, aluminum sesquioxide, and silicon dioxide were then added to the mixture prior to sintering at 1190degC for 2 h. The resulting ferrite magnetic powder had an average particle size of 2.0 m, a molar ratio of Fe2O3 to SrO of 5.9, and a tensile strength of 105 N/mm. This was comparable to a product produced by conventional methods using iron scales. The researchers are now studying other polymer dispersion techniques, comparing them to HPMC, and assessing their biodegradability. They hope to continue this work until they develop a product that can be commercialized. They will also investigate other types of raw materials, aiming for an even more sustainable solution.

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