Abstract
I have always had a problem with understanding just what ‘existential threat’ meant. An artificial intelligence query comes back with “An existential threat refers to a danger that poses a significant risk to the existence or survival of something, such as humanity, a culture, or an ideology. Common examples include climate change, nuclear war, and severe global pandemics.” I am beginning to realize that we are in that situation where we are facing a true existential threat to our existence. Be it climate change, nuclear war, severe global pandemics and government constitutional crisis. The data is there, we have been warned, however there are too many naysayers who debunk what to many is obvious. And then when the unthinkable becomes reality, the naysayers say, ‘nobody told me’. In my opinion we need to wage an urgent battle against the forces of hate and greed and practice improving the world by improving how we behave to our fellow travelers in this game of life.
This issue contains the Industry News, the Regulatory Expert Corner, three original articles and one review. The Statisticians Corner, which is free to download, is by Mark J. Anderson. He takes up the topic “How to Handle Hard-to-Change Factors via a Split-Plot Design of Experiments”. He discusses that if it is difficult to run a completely randomization statistically designed experiment, then use a specialized design called “split plot”. This method groups hard-to-change (HTC) factors and easy-to-change (ETC) factors.
The first paper “A computational study on the sensitivity of slip constraints in the blade coating process of an electrically conducting Oldroyd 4-constant fluid” is by Jafar Hasnaina, Zulfiqar Alia, Muhammad Yousuf Rafiqb, and Zaheer Abbasb. The blade coating process holds significant importance due to its widespread application in manufacturing products such as newspapers, photographic film, fibers, catalogs, and magnetic storage media. Its economic impact has driven extensive research aimed at deepening the understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms, ultimately leading to improvements in process efficiency and optimization. Therefore, this article investigates the blade coating process of an electrically conducting Oldroyd 4-constant liquid with velocity slippage on the blade surface. The impression of viscous dissipation is also inspected through the energy equation. The mathematical equations are modeled with the use of lubrication approximation theory and the normalized equations of the Oldroyd 4-constant fluid and are numerically solved by the shooting method. To offer valuable insights, the pressure, pressure gradient, velocity, temperature, and load metrics are calculated and displayed in graphs and tables. It is found that liquid velocity and pressure decrease as the Hartmann number increases. As the Brinkman number increases, the temperature distribution increases, with the peak temperature appearing in the narrowest region of the flow.
Our second paper “Correlation between process conditions and mechanical film properties in foamed multilayer blown films” is by Marius Stieglitz, Christian Hopmann, Lisa Leuchtenberger-Engel, and Henrik Junge. For packaging with films, specific mechanical properties are of paramount importance. This can be achieved through the implementation of optimized manufacturing processes and the efficient utilization of raw materials. The foam extrusion process has the potential to enhance material efficiency. The foam structure impacts the mechanical properties due to replacing force-conducting material. Blown film extrusion represents a predominant production process in the packaging field, offering the potential for cost-effective mass production. Integration of these processes gives rise to intricate behavior patterns, attributable to interactions between the conditions governing the blown film and those governing foam extrusion. This affects the density reduction and the mechanical properties of the material. This study’s objective was to identify the significant parameters affecting mechanical properties and to gain insight into the mechanisms influencing the foam blown film process. The results demonstrated that combining foam and blown film extrusion markedly reduces the resulting film density, with a potential savings of up to 40 % in plastic at 7 % blowing agent content. The optimal conditions to produce small-cell foam structures include high die pressure gradients, which can be achieved by lowering the blown film die head temperature or increasing the mass flow rate of the foamed middle layer. Tensile stress and Youngs modulus decrease with increasing blowing agent content, as the gas-filled cells reduce structural integrity. Thinner films often show higher tensile strength due to better molecular orientation. At the same time, the mass ratio influences the mechanical properties by changing the polymer structure and cell distribution, which optimizes or weakens the mechanical properties. The study presents significant insights into the blown film foam extrusion process and investigates the correlations between density reduction and the resulting mechanical properties.
The third paper “Antibacterial Thermoplastic Starch/Sepiolite Bio-Nanocomposite Films: Effects of Plasticizer Type and Starch Source” is by Ayşe Tuğçe Çokkuvvetli, and Sennur Deniz.
The use of starch-based films as an alternative food packaging has gained prominence as part of efforts to ensure sustainability and manage post-user waste, aligning with European regulations and broader global sustainability goals. In this study, Thermoplastic starch (TPS) bio-nanocomposite hybrid films were developed by incorporating high purity sepiolite (HPS) and Turkish oregano extract (OE) as reinforcement and antimicrobial additives, respectively. The interactive effects of four experimental variables (temperature, time, plasticizer type, and ratio) on the mechanical characteristics of corn and potato starch-based films were evaluated using Box-Behnken response surface methodology. A three-level, three-factor Box-Behnken design was utilized to investigate the effects of the experimental variables on tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (EB), and E-modulus (EM) of the starch-based films. The potato-based TPS films using sorbitol rather than glycerol exhibited better mechanical properties than corn starch-based TPS films under the optimized experimental parameters of 70°C gelatinization temperature, 60 minutes gelatinization time, and 40% sorbitol plasticizer. The addition of 3% HPS slightly enhanced the mechanical (TS: 26.0 MPa, EB: 11.3%, and EM:1817 MPa) and oxygen permeability characteristics (OTR: 25 cc/m2. day) of the potato-based bio-nanocomposite films. The hybrid films prepared with the addition of OE provided >99.7% antibacterial resistance to E. coli and S. aureus bacteria (in accordance with ASTM D3985). These findings suggest that starch-based hybrid films offer a promising approach to address both environmental and food safety concerns, raising the prospect of using such films as innovative active packaging materials in the future.
The fourth paper “A Review of Plant-Derived Gums and Mucilages: Structural Chemistry, Film Forming Properties and Application” if by Md. Azizul Hakim Shiam, Mst Sadia Islam, Iftakhar Ahmad, and Sumaiya Sadia Haque. Plant-based gums and mucilages come from seeds, roots, leaves, and exudates. They are used in various industries for their high viscosity, water retention, and heat stability. These biopolymers act as emulsifiers, gelling agents, and stabilizers in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Their hydrophilic nature helps in biodegradable packaging and functional foods. In pharmaceuticals, they are used as tablet binders, drug carriers, and controlled-release excipients, with applications enhanced by nanotechnology. Despite extraction and processing challenges, plant-derived gums and mucilages offer potential for sustainable development and environmental solutions.
And a final quote: “If your success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all.” - Anna Quindlen
To submit a paper, go to: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jpfs