ERIC Number: EJ1442336
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Jun
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: EISSN-1938-1328
Measurement of the Water Vapor Permeability of Chitosan Films: A Laboratory Experiment on Food Packaging Materials
Patricia Cazón; Eduardo Morales-Sanchez; Gonzalo Velazquez; Manuel Vázquez
Journal of Chemical Education, v99 n6 p2403-2408 2022
In recent years, the food industry has been undergoing major changes driven by new social and environmental demands. Nowadays, biodegradable packaging is perceived as the most feasible alternative for food packaging. Great efforts are being devoted to the development of new materials from agro-industrial wastes and byproducts that are opening new alternatives and trends in the biopolymer sector. The aim of this laboratory exercise is to provide a tool to motivate active learning of new technologies and trends in the chemistry of biopolymers. The presented guide introduces to undergraduate students to the basic concepts of polysaccharide-based biopolymers and the characterization of functional properties. This exercise is focused on barrier properties, specifically on water vapor permeability. Chitosan is used as an example of a biopolymeric matrix, and its synthesis and water vapor permeability measurement are described in detail. In addition, a guide for the 3D printing of a temperature-controlled permeability chamber is provided, which will allow the experiment to be carried out in less time as the equilibrium state of the system is not broken when the permeability cup is weighed. It is expected that this exercise and the complementary Supporting Information will be of great interest to biopolymer teaching and research laboratories.
Descriptors: Undergraduate Study, Chemistry, Science Education, Laboratory Experiments, Plastics, Food, Food Standards
Division of Chemical Education, Inc. and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A