Juan Escobar

Abstract

The increasing use of polymeric films for packaging food is challenging the industry with two very critical facts: aromatic constituents of foodstuffs can either be absorbed by the packaging materials or permeate through the polymers and escape from the package. The packaging and food industries are constantly researching new packaging materials and systems which present alternatives to overcome these problems. In order to evaluate polymers' performance, it is then necessary to develop new testing equipment to prove their barrier efficiency . This study analyzed and compared the characteristics of three barrier materials: BarexR 210, BicorR 84, and BicorR 70 by means of one testing system, which has been recently developed, offering to the industry a useful tool to evaluate the barrier characteristics of the packaging materials. The system uses an isostatic test method and incorporates a flame ionization detector (FID) , precise temperature and flow rate control, which allowed to determine the permeability rate, the diffusion rate, and the solubility values of pyridine, and to correlate them with the values obtained from the volatile compounds of fresh ground coffee. The outcome of the experiment proved that all three films tested are very good barrier materials. Nevertheless, it is necessary to continuing experimenting on the same materials with the same equipment, using different procedures, to find significant figures that could lead to conclusive results about which material has the best barrier characteristics.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Plastics in packaging--Research; Polymers--Permeability--Research; Food--Packaging--Research

Publication Date

1995

Document Type

Thesis

Department, Program, or Center

Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology (CAST)

Advisor

Olsson, David

Advisor/Committee Member

Whitlock, Carol

Advisor/Committee Member

Kemp-Patchhut, Sharon

Comments

Note: imported from RIT’s Digital Media Library running on DSpace to RIT Scholar Works. Physical copy available through RIT's The Wallace Library at: TS195.2 .E836 1995

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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