Advances in Research of Molded Pulp for Food Packaging

The molded pulp,a product of three-dimensional papermaking technology,is environmentally friendly and has a low environmental impact due to its ability to decompose quickly in the natural environment after disposal.The application of molded pulp for food packaging can replace or reduce the use of plastic food packaging.Researchers extract fibers from plants for the production of safe and hygienic molded pulp for food packaging,and they also study and enhance the qualities of molded pulp to broaden its use in the food industry.This paper reviews the sources and varieties of plant fiber used in molded pulp for food packaging,as well as research on the improvement and optimization of the performance of molded pulp products.Additionally,issues with molded pulp’s actual use for food packaging are reviewed,along with the potential for future research.This work can serve as a reference for molded pulp applications and research in the food industry in the future.

Soda pulping of sunn hemp(Crotalaria juncea L.)and its usage in molded pulp packaging

Petroleum-based materials are often used in the packaging industry.However,the single use value of such products can be problematic with regard to proper waste disposal.As such,molded pulp packaging can be used as an alternative,given its ease of recycling,composting,and even-tual biodegradation.In this work,we aims to study the pulp properties of sunn hemp and its usage as molded pulp products.For this purpose,unbleached beaten and unbeaten soda pulps de-rived from the whole stem of sunn hemp were examined for their fiber morphology,fibrillation,fiber classification,and physical properties.The sunn hemp pulp was subsequently molded using a batch molding machine.To determine the hydrophobicity of the molded pulp products,the molded samples were manufactured with and without additives.Finally,some properties of the molded pulp products were examined and compared with the commercially available bleached bagasse molded pulp products.It was observed that the molded products made from sunn hemp pulp with additives had a higher water contact angle than that of the commercial products.In terms of general usage,the molded products from sunn hemp pulp with additives were found to be capable of storing hot water,hot cooking oil,as well as microwaving water.We concluded that the sunn hemp pulp could be used as an alternative fibrous raw material in the production of molded pulp packaging.

T01067∗Series Fuel Pump Pulp Molded Package Dynamic Drop Simulation

In this paper,combined with the actual situation encountered in the process of product transportation,the finite element analysis software ANSYS/LS-DYNA was used to simulate the dynamic drop process of the buffer packaging structure of T01067∗series fuel pump,and the simulation results were analyzed,and a conclusion was drawn.According to the fuel pump weight calculation buffer material thickness,according to the product size and structure design of the pulp molded cushion structure,simulation of static cushioning performance,and dynamic drop simulation,for the subsequent structural optimization cost reduction to provide early warning[1,2].Check the simulation production cost,reducemany times a large number of experiments and time,structure is ideal type prediction,find out the ideal optimization total,physical test,further optimization and improvement[3].

Molded fiber and pulp products as green and sustainable alternatives to plastics:A mini review

There are significant incentives/pressures on decreasing the use of plastics and their related prod-ucts in the packaging industry,correspondingly,strong demands are emerging for clean,renew-able,recyclable/biodegradable packaging products.In this context,molded fiber/pulp products have attracted increasing attention,due to their green/sustainable advantages,simply because the raw materials used are plant-based and/or recycled fibers.Many companies have switched their packing practices from plastics to more environmentally friendly products,such as molded fiber products,which already have had and will continue to have obvious effect on packaging industries.This paper initially provides an overview on the general concept of molded pulp prod-ucts,and further summarizes the different types of molded fiber products in terms of natural fiber sources,manufacturing processes,current and emerging applications as well as the environmental sustainability of molded products.

2022 International Paper Technical Conference: A Preview

This is a preview pertaining to the upcoming event of the 2022 International Paper Technical Conference.Herein we provide the condensation of twelve presentations which will be given by our honorable speakers.Conference themes comprise of status quo of supply of raw material,the newest dynamic trend of papermaking industry both in China and Brazil,eucalyptus pulp as a shining role in molded pulp,high-value utilization of biomass,the most concerned hotspot—carbon reduction,and existing problems challenging the application of paper-based materials in packaging market.From the source to the end product,we offer you the full view of paper industry in expound.

Influence of temperature and pressure during thermoforming of softwood pulp

In this study,the influence of thermoforming conditions on the resulting material properties was investigated,which aimed at developing advanced wood-fiber-based materials for the replacement of fossil plastics.Two bleached softwood pulps were studied,i.e.,northern bleached softwood Kraft pulp(NBSK)and chemi-thermomechanical softwood pulp(CTMP).The thermoforming conditions were varied between 2–100 MPa and 150–200℃,while pressing sheets of 500 g/m^(2)for 10 min to represent thin-walled packaging more closely.As our results showed,the temperature had a more pronounced effect on the CTMP substrates than on the Kraft pulp.This was explained by the greater abundance of lignin and hemicelluloses,while fibrillar dimensions and the fines content may play a role in addition.Moreover,the CTMP exhibited an optimum in terms of tensile strength at intermediate thermoforming pressure.This effect was attributed to two counteracting effects:1)Improved fiber adhesion due to enhanced densification,and 2)embrittlement caused by the loss of extensibility.High temperatures likely softened the lignin,enabling fiber collapse and a tighter packing.For the Kraft substrates,the tensile strength increased linearly with density.Both pulps showed reduced wetting at elevated thermoforming temperature and pressure,which was attributed to hornification and densification effects.Here,the effect of temperature was again more pronounced for CTMP than for the Kraft fibers.It was concluded that the thermoforming temperature and pressure strongly affected the properties of the final material.The chemical composition of the pulps will distinctly affect their response to thermoforming,which could be useful for tailoring cellulose-based replacements for packaging products.