pH-indicative Films Based on Chitosan–PVA/Sepiolite and Anthocyanin from Red Cabbage: Application in Milk Packaging

Biobased smart packaging is been the most interesting research field.In this study,pH-sensitive films based on anthocyanin molecules from red cabbage and sepiolite mineral nano-clay as functional additives were studied.The films were fabricated by casting method of blend polymer Chitosan/Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)at two fillers loading(5wt.%and 10wt.%).The structural,morphological,thermal,optical,hygroscopic,and mechanical properties as well as the pH sensitivity of films were investigated.The thermal properties confirm that the amount of the anthocyanin in sepiolite was around 6.4%.The tensile strength and the young’s modulus of produced composites at 10wt.%sepiolite–anthocyanin content was increased to 8.90 MPa and 163 MPa,respectively.The maximum water absorption that the films may absorb was 12.3%.pH sensitivity analysis showed that the Smart films change the color by changing the pH level,from pink at pH lower than 6 to yellow at pH higher than 6.Thus,the developed pH-sensitive films show band gaps in visible light that make them useful for monitoring milk spoilage.

Effect of Filler Content on Flexural and Viscoelastic Properties of Coir Fibers and Argania Nut-shells Reinforced Phenolic Resin Composites

The characteristics of two different kinds of lignocellulosic materials(vegetable fillers)with two morphologies as Argania nut-shells(ANS)particles and Coir Fibers(CF)were used as reinforcement for phenolic resin(Bakelite)in this work,and the composite are studied as a function of filler types,shape,content(10,20,and 30%wt.percent)and manufacturing loading force(1500 and 3000 LBs).Compression molding was used to create the composites,which were then evaluated using Scanning electronic microscopy(SEM),Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),bending,dynamic-mechanical-thermal and rheological studies.The morphology of broken samples demonstrates that both fillers are well dispersed and distributed.When fillers are added to the matrix,the flexural characteristics improve,and the optimal values are attained in the case of Argania nut-shells.The results showed that the kind and shape of the fillers had a direct influence on the dynamic mechanical characteristics of the composites due to the reinforcement's modulus augmentation.It was noticed that,the increment of manufacturing loading force decreased the mechanical and dynamical properties of composites.The optimum properties obtained indicate that the composites can only be manufactured at low manufacturing loading force(1500 LBs).

Laminated Epoxy Biocomposites Based on Clay and Jute Fibers

Jute/epoxy hybrid laminated biocomposites were manufactured by using Illite clay particles at various content （5 wt.% - 20 wt.%）. The effects of hybridization on the morphology, structure, and mechanical properties were investigated. The properties of the biocomposites reinforced with jute fibers were mainly influenced by the interfacial adhesion between the jute fibers and the epoxy matrix. An alkali treatment was applied to improve the interfacial fiber-matrix adhesion and thus obtaining better mechanical properties. Besides the chemical treatment, epoxy hybridization using clay particles also had a strong effect on the overall properties of laminated biocomposites. The mechanical properties of the jute/epoxy biocomposites reinforced with Illite clay increased with clay content, up to an optimum value at 15 wt.%. The average technique and the laminates theory were performed to validate the coherence of the elastic moduli between the calculated and experimental values. A difference between the experimental and predicted data was observed, which was attributed to the simplifying assumptions made in both models. The laminates theory gave better overall predictions.