The production of ecofriendly biofilm with natural oil for food packaging

The use of edible biofilms in food packaging reduces the use of petrochemical polymers that are harmful to human health, such as PE, PP, PET. The second most common biopolymer in nature, chitosan is a nontoxic, nonantigenic, biocompatible and biodegradable polymer. Considering these features, it is frequently used in food packaging applications. Increasing needs for food amount and quality canalized food ındustry to fund in new packaging techniques that improve storage life and grade of foods. Active packaging systems, one of these methods, can be designed as a sensor, antimicrobial or antimigrant in order to extend the shelf life of the food product and to inform the shelf life in possible degradation. Essential oils, which are antimicrobial environmentally friendly packaging material additives, are used due to their effective biological activities. Essential oils that have known antimicrobial properties include lavender, rosemary, mint, eucalyptus and geranium. These oils are also edible. In this study, it is aimed to produce antimicrobial, ecofriendly, edible, printable biofilm for active packaging, using chitosan and peppermint essential oil. For this purpose, chitosan biofilms containing different rates (0, 1, 2.5, 5, 10%) of peppermint essential oil were produced by solvent casting method. Surface morphology were examined by SEM. The transparency of biofilms was determined by UV spectroscopy. Antimicrobial properties of the obtained films were determined against S. aureus and E. coli. Biofilms were printed with screen printing. The color, gloss, contact angle, surface tension values of all printed and unprinted samples were examined. As a result, chitosan biofilms which are loaded with peppermint essential oil were successfully produced. Biofilms are colorless, highly transparent and have good printability. It is concluded that the amount of peppermint essential oil increased inhibitory feature against S. aureus and E. coli. When the obtained results are examined, it is determined that the printable, ecofriendly, edible biofilms can be used in active food packaging applications.

A mini review: Optimal dye removal by fenton process catalysed with waste materials

Large quantities of solid waste from different industries are commonly disposed in landfills, where can generate wide range of environmental problems. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to give insight on the usage of various waste materials as oxidation catalysts in different Fenton processes for dye removal. In that manner the circular value chain of these materials will be reinforced, obtaining disposal cost reduction and further value addition. Some of industrial wastes (fly ash, electric arc furnace dust, red mud, coal bottom ash, activated carbon from biomass, etc.) that have been used to catalyse Fenton reaction in various researches are reviewed from optimization point of view. Both types of optimization, one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) and response surface methodology (RSM) are investigated. The study revealed that factors as catalyst concentration, pH value, hydrogen peroxide concentration, dye concentration and reaction time are main factors that influence final Fenton capacity as oxidation process catalysed with reviewed waste materials.

The production of flame retardant paper with DOPO

Flame retardant property to paper increases the use of paper and the value of paper products. The flame retardant property was achieved by the addition of an organophosphorus agent to the paper. A great deal of research has been done on 9,10-Dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) derivatives as flame retardants. To apply the flame retardant property in condensed phase, DOPO derivative materials are generally used as an acid source for intumescent flame retardants to promote dehydration and carbonization of the charring agent to form a continuous layer of carbon. In this study, In order to prepare a flame retardant paper coating, DOPO derivative was synthesized with 3-aminophenyl sulfone, and benzaldehyde reaction and the chemical structure of DOPO is illuminated by ATR-FTIR then paper was coating with a flame retardant coating formulation ingredient with DOPO. The paper’s properties were investigated. Surface energy of coated papers and contact angles were determined with goniometer. Printability parameters such as color, gloss, surface tension were examined. The results the study DOPO added paper coatings improve the paper flame retardancy.

Child-resistant features of pharmaceutical packaging in the egyptian and global market; a comparative study

Child-Resistant packaging is substantial requirement especially when it is related to pharmaceuticals. Children under five years old are the most groups in risk of drug poisoning, as a result of their constant passion and attracting their attention to medicines, especially the distinctive color and small size. Due to the presence of medicines for adults, especially chronic diseases that require the presence of the drug always at home with exciting properties for the passion of a young child who is affected by colors and the small size which they can insert easily into their mouths. The child-resistant features attached to packages may present a problem (e.g., how to open the package) to its potential user (child or adult). Many of these features are used with the primary packaging and less for the secondary ones. Are these features efficient with available cost or not. Evaluation of each one might be varied according to package structure, level and child behavior. Therefore, the importance of adding some features in the pharmaceutical packaging Child-Resistant, in order to achieve the safety of children with a targeted age (children under 5 years old). By adding these special properties to the pharmaceutical packaging it will affect the design of the pharmaceutical packaging. Finally, this paper aimed to review and evaluate the child resistant features & securing methods that are used with pharmaceutical products in the Egyptian market, with which are available globally, then make a comparison between them by description and analysis.

Paper surface efficiency and inkjet colour reproduction on invasive and agro residue papers

Paper surface efficiency was developed by Preucil and was intended to define the colourimetry and geometrical part of the light reflection with paper surface values. The surface characteristics of paper, primarily its roughness and absorptivity affect colour reproduction beside the ink pigments or dye. Rougher paper surfaces scatter the light in a more non-uniform manner while paper absorption may cause ink vehicle absorption and thus decreasing gloss, or it may absorb both vehicles and pigment-producing an unexpected colour shift. The formula was upgraded with paper whiteness values as the basic formula did not explain the whole phenomena. These paper properties were the foundation of the paper standardisation for standardised printing. On the other hand, during inkjet printing, a limited amount of liquid is deposited onto a paper surface. When the droplet hits the surface, it starts to spread and wet the surface depending on the ink and paper properties and had different colourant deposition from the formulas used mainly for offset printing inks. In this paper, we have researched the modified surface efficiency formula applied to inkjet printing (HP PageWide Pro 477dw) on invasive and agro-residue papers with specific non-white paper shades. We have measured the dynamic liquid penetration using ultrasound measurement to model the surface behaviour of the inks and measured CIE LCH values of the samples and calculated the CIE ΔE00 colour differences and the influence of paper surface efficiency and paper shade influence on the colour reproduction. The results indicate that using recalculated Cobb Absorption values gives good negative linear correlation with the original formula regarding the magnitude of colour difference.

Investigation of the optical properties of chitosan and rice starch blends, as a filler in paper or as a film for packaging applications

Bio based materials fall under the broad category of bio-products or bio-based products, which includes materials, chemicals and energy derived from renewable biological resources. This research shows the preparation of both, paper sheets with blend fillers of chitosan and rice starch and chitosan and rice starch films, which could be used as packaging material for a variety of applications. In this research, we used a blend mixture, different concentrations of chitosan and rice starch both in paper production and in films to investigate the optical properties of the obtained materials with a combination of ultrasonic treatment during the film formation. The research showed that the optical properties of the obtained packaging materials improved. It also showed that blend fillers of chitosan and rice starch are effective paper fillers in the preparation of cellulose mixture for bio based packaging materials and the optical properties are with slight changes. The investigation on the optical properties of the obtained paper samples during accelerated thermal showed that the ageing of paper with addition of chitosan and chitosan and rice starch blends had the same behaviour through the 72 hours of ageing. The ultrasonic treatment of the films improved transparency. The surface at untreated blend film was more uneven compared to chitosan and rice starch films, which improved after the treatment.

Evaluation of zipper tear strip design structure for paperboard packaging

Zipper tear strips (ZTS) are the most common user friendly, tamper-proof, opening system for paperboard and corrugated cardboard packaging. The base of ZTS design structure has parallel partial cuts repeated in the direction of the desired tearing line. The height (strip-width) of the tab can vary same as the shape in the cut design structure. In order to collect the most common zipper tear structure data, parameters were measured from samples of paperboard packaging found in a frequent Croatian supermarket. The obtained data was used to define 8 types of samples which were together with 4 new samples tested on two mainly used paperboards (250 g/m2 GC1 and 270 g/m2 GC2). Three type of tests were conducted: pull test for maximal tearing force, compression test to measure the structural degradation of a packaging and manual tearing to test the ZTS opening functionality success rate in real-life handling conditions. The results show that the 45° angle is most functional option and should be combined with the wider 13mm ZTS instead of the usual 10mm. Also, there is an indication that a 0,5mm increase between cuts can slightly improve structural stability and when combined with the wider tab can attain an increased tear resistance while having the adequate opening functionality success rate.

Kinetic typography - figuration and technology

Kinetic typography - text in motion is an animation method of characters that has a video form instead of some "static" form such as picture, poster or book. The most important element for figuration of kinetic typography is the choice of font. Furthermore, one should think about the letter cut, the size and color of the characters, and the background color on which the animation takes place. It can be created in various ways, most often using software that applies a multitude of effects to the text or letter character, creating dynamic solutions. The effects vary from the simplest such as "fade-in" and "fade-out" (entering and exiting text in and out of the frame). Static characters can expand, narrow, move slowly or rapidly, grow and change in a variety of ways to very complex ones in which the author builds an entire story or promotional video by carefully combining software capabilities. However, each software has its limitations and for this reason the kinetic typography presented in this paper is programmed using codes. In a wide range of available programming languages due to the simple interface that does not require advanced programming concepts and gives exceptional results in the field of kinetic typography, Processing was chosen. The Processing programming language is intended for generating and modifying graphics and is based on the Java programming language. The most important difference between Processing and Java is that Processing offers a simple programming interface that does not require advanced levels of programming such as classes, objects, or animations. It also allows advanced users to use them. Processing uses a variety of typography rendering approaches such as raster and vector solutions and allows typography to be programmed and displayed on the Web independently of the user's Web browser and font database. Processing enables the use of visual elements in animation, including typographic ones, by introducing interaction to the user. The user is no longer a passive observer but actively participates in the performance of the application whose final appearance is not predefined but arises from the actions of each individual user. For the purposes of this paper, individual letters were created in a font-making program. The letters made are of various written classifications and cuts, which with their variety contribute to the attractiveness of the animation. In the creating of motion typography in this paper, the programming language Processing was used. Written program codes that manipulate words, letters, or parts of characters to create interesting visual effects for the viewer that aim to hold the viewer's attention and convey the desired message or emotion. There are no strict rules and patterns when making kinetic typography. In kinetic typography, each author determines his own rules, method of production, and there are no same solutions.

The relationship between social roles of contemporary art museums and digitalization

This paper was adapted from the author’s PhD dissertation named “The Effects of Digitalization on Contemporary Art Museums and Galleries”. The digital age has started with the digitalization of information and information communication. The digitalization processes that accelerated with the rapid developments in information and communication technologies have deeply affected museums. Museums are information-based organizations, their primary functions are to protect and spread information. Digitalized information and information communication have obligated contemporary art museums to follow digitalization processes. In this process, technological convergence is another factor that accelerates digitalization of contemporary art museums. ICOM has defined a contemporary museum as a polyphonic platform including participatory, inclusive and democratizing elements. When all these concepts are considered, the importance of communication between museum-community becomes apparent. Today, contemporary art museums have taken communication to their focal points. Museum-society communication is experienced in contemporary art museums through artistic activities as well as institution's communication-oriented strategies. Contemporary art activities using digital technologies and multimedia technologies generally require audience participation. Global access and various digital platforms provide the society with equal access to museums and art events, as well as making the arts of various countries and identities more visible. In the field of education, contemporary art museums develop projects by cooperating with various institutions. The effective use of digital platforms and institutional pages serves as a catalyst in the realization of these roles that museums undertake. Innovations in information and communication technologies accelerate the digitalization processes and serve as a mediator in maintaining the social roles of museums. For example, it can be said that technological convergence increases the number of museum visitors, therefore, it is the mediator of the social roles of museums. Technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence, which are used in exhibition design in museums, require audience interaction. Digital art based on digital technology takes its place in contemporary art museums. In this study, it was aimed to reveal that social roles undertaken by contemporary art museums, such as participatory, inclusive, democratizing and polyphonic roles, are closely related to the digitalization of institutions and that digitalization acts as a catalyst for these roles.

Packaging design and testing by eye tracking

The importance of packaging design has been increasing in today’s competitive world. Approximately 70% of purchasing decisions are made in a store. Over 60% of purchasing decisions are based on packaging; the actual shopping is thus the final chance for the packaging to attract the buyer. Packaging has between 2 and 3 seconds to convince the buyer. In addition to the appearance of the individual packages, the appearance of brand packaging is important. We compared different designs of packages. Finally, we placed individual packages on the shelves in a store and carried out measurement of in-store noting. The measurements were carried out using eye tracking equipment (Tobii X120). For each participant, the observing time and the number of fixations in individual areas of interest were measured; both were then compared with heat maps. In this way, we compared the suitability of the form of individual packages and the salience of the packages on the shelves for potential buyers.