Journal of Research Updates in Polymer Science

Physicochemical Properties of Films from Semirefined Carrageenan/TiO2 Integrated with Cinnamaldehyde Pickering Emulsion for Active Food Packaging

Khadijah Husna Abd Hamid — 2024-02-02

Plastic waste has become a significant global environmental issue, particularly in the context of food packaging. In the present study, active packaging films were fabricated by integrating chitosan-stabilized cinnamaldehyde Pickering emulsion (PE) and titanium dioxide particles (TNPs) into the semirefined carrageenan (SRC) matrix. The impact of cinnamaldehyde PE and TNPs on the physical and mechanical attributes of the SRC films was explored. The integration of TNPs (3%, w/v) and 0.5% cinnamaldehyde PE revealed promising mechanical properties, with 21.86 MPa tensile strength and 34.21% of elongation at break value. The inclusion of TNPs and cinnamaldehyde PE led to enhancements in the moisture content and water solubility of the SRC films. The thermal stability of the film was marginally increased with 0.5% cinnamaldehyde PE. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a uniform distribution of active compounds in the SRC matrix. The study findings highlight the potential of cinnamaldehyde PE and TNPs in active food packaging films as eco-friendly alternatives to conventional petrochemical-derived plastics in food packaging.

Evaluation of a Strain Sweep Tests Protocol as a Tool for Assessing the Homogeneity of SBR Copolymer Composition

Harrison Lourenço Corrêa — 2024-03-29

Global competition in products and services demands constant improvement in production systems. Similarly, it is essential for industries to have quality control tools capable of assessing the compliance of a given product at a lower cost and with greater effectiveness. In the rubber and composite industry, where complex formulation and mixing systems can affect not only the quality of the final product but also the processing of rubber, the development of a protocol that assumes this function is important. The present study developed samples of elastomeric blends based on styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBR) with different filler concentrations (30, 60, and 90 phr of ground tire rubber as filler), which were analyzed using an oscillating cavity rheometer (MDpt-TechPro). Based on a proprietary testing protocol, the degree of homogeneity of the composites was evaluated, which was compared with scanning electron microscopy studies. The implemented protocol, which provides results within 30 minutes, proved to be promising for quality control of these blends, and it can be used by rubber processing industries, saving both time and cost, being an unprecedented study on the 'homogeneity-rheology' relationship.

Low-Cost Production of Chitosan Biopolymer from Seafood Waste: Extraction and Physiochemical Characterization

Md Mobarok Karim — 2024-07-02

Chitosan is an abundant natural biopolymer widely used in industrial and pharmaceutical applications. It stands out for its remarkable biodegradability, biocompatibility, and versatility. Herein, we tried to extract chitosan from mud crab (Scylla spp.), a seafood waste abundantly found in Bangladesh’s growing crab farming industry, via a simple low-cost production route. At first, chitin was extracted from crab shells through demineralization and deproteinization to eliminate minerals and proteins. The chitosan biopolymer was then obtained by deacetylation of purified chitin. To evaluate its physicochemical properties, the as-prepared chitosan was characterized by different analyses, such as water and fat binding capacity, solubility, viscosity, molecular weight, fourier transform-infrared, thermogravimetric, scanning electron microscopy, and ash content analysis. The results showed that the crab shell contains around 26.8% chitosan by dry weight, making it an excellent raw material for the massive production of the natural biopolymer chitosan. The prepared chitosan showed fat and water binding capacities of 200-300% and ~680.9%, respectively. Furthermore, it was highly soluble in 1% acetic acid and had an ash content of about 33.7%. Convincingly, the produced chitosan showed great physiochemical properties making it suitable for biomass efficiency, sustainable development, revenue generation, and biomedical applications. In addition, the recycling of seafood waste into a valued product is beneficial to help keep the environment clean, which is among the sustainability goals in Bangladesh and globally.

Synthesis and Applications of Onium Salts for Photopolymerization Reactions

Ideisan I. Abu-Abdoun — 2024-07-12

The synthesis and characterization of phosphonium and arsonium salts having anthraquinone and anthracene moiety was carried out by reacting equimolar amounts of halomethyl anthracene or anthraquinone with triphenylphosphine or triphenyl arsine in toluene solvent. The halide counter (Cl or Br) ion was exchanged with hexafluoro antimonate (SbF₆^-) which proved to be a useful photoinitiator for polymerizing cyclohexene oxide, styrene, p-methyl styrene, and N-vinylcarbazole. The experimental results demonstrate the effects of salt, monomer structures, and the photolysis time on the rate of polymerization and the number average molecular weight of the obtained polymer. These salts are easy to handle, nonhygroscopic under laboratory conditions, and they have good solubility in halogenated solvents such as dichloromethane and chloroform.