Biodegradable packaging materials are already in use. However, there are severe restrictions preventing the broad application in food packaging, especially due to insufficient barrier properties. Our idea was to improve these properties with a biodegradable coating. The Fraunhofer-Institut für Silicatforschung ISC has been developing high-barrier coatings for various packaging applications based on a class of materials with glass-like structural units, named ORMOCER®. However, these state-of-the-art ORMOCER® coatings are not biodegradable. The aim of our work was to modify ORMOCER® to become biodegradable and, at the same time, preserve the barrier and functional properties. This was achieved by the incorporation of functionalized tamarind hemicellulose Glyate® into the ORMOCER® matrix. For this purpose a two-step amination reaction of Glyate® was chosen. The aminated product was analyzed by FTIR, solid-state NMR and elemental analysis. New aminated Glyate® containing bioORMOCER® lacquers could be synthesized. Lacquer quality assessment was performed by Raman spectroscopy. The properties of the resulting coatings were evaluated by laser scanning microscopy (LSM), oxygen transmission rates (OTR) measurements, E-Module determination and adhesion tests. Standardized tests for compostability, overall migration and antimicrobial properties were performed for the bioORMOCER® coatings. The evaluation showed that the new bioORMOCER® coatings are suitable for sustainable food packaging.
The use of fiber reinforced mortar for structural retrofitting/new construction of masonry structures has become increasingly popular in the last years. A preliminary study on the mechanical performances under compression of masonry panels is performed by selecting three different mortar types. The panels were composed of mortar and clay bricks; the mortars adopted are the following: i) commercial type mortar, ii) traditional mortar and iii) traditional mortar with the addition of a cellulose-based industrial non-hazardous waste. In particular, the study proposes the use of deink paper sludge as mortar filler as an example of sustainable end-of-life reuse. Using the collected experimental results involving the mortars and clay brick form a regression analysis on compressive strengths was performed in order to evaluate the influence of the deink paper sludge on the compressive behavior of the panel.
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