Moisture sorption and isosteric heat of sorption properties of PVP-CMC hydrogel based food packaging material

International Conference and Exhibition on Biopolymers & Bioplastics

August 10-12, 2015 San Francisco, USA

Nabanita Saha1, Dipali S Shinde2, Madhusweta Das2 and Petr Saha1

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Material Sci Eng

Abstract :

Development of biopolymers based eco-friendly packaging materials is encouraged worldwide. Nowadays, fruits and vegetables
packaging materials are commonly prepared from petroleum based synthetic polymer, where bio-plastics are more concerned
for maintaining freshness as well as from environmental protection point of view. Further, to enhance the shelf life of food stuff,
moisture sorption and isoteric heat of sorption property of biobased packaging material are equally important as of mechanical
property, breathability and biodegradability. Hence, to accomplish and maintain such properties within packaging material,
carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) based hydrogel designated as “PVP-CMC hydrogel” has been
prepared. The said hydrogel possessed other adventitious properties like porous internal morphology conferring breathability,
properflexibility required for machinability in preparation of pouches in different shape, size and thickness, etc. Water activity (aw)
is a measure of the energy status of the moisture content in a system and controls several properties of biopolymer based materials;
high water activityleads to chemical and microbial instability. The equilibrium relationship between aw (rangingwithin 0.0-1.0) and
the corresponding moisture content at any particular temperature is represented by moisture sorption isotherm (MSI) which is most
important in design of drying, packaging and storage systems of food. Representation of sorption data with best fit model followed by
evaluation of isosteric heat of sorption is used as a tool for achieving these designs and will be discussed during presentation besides
other interesting properties of PVP-CMC hydrogel.

Biography :

Nabanita Saha has completed her PhD in 1991 in Microbial Biotechnology from Indian Institute of Technology, India. After completed her PhD, she worked at
SPRERI as Scientific Officer. She joined at Tomas Bata University in Zlin in July 2001 and was appointed as an Associate Professor in 2006. She is author or coauthor
of 28 papers registered in WOS database, citations 146 (without self-citations), h-index 11. She has supervised 5 Doctoral Thesis; 2 completed 3 ongoing [as
a supervisor (3) and consultant (2)]. She is a Board member of SPE, European Medical Plastic and member of several international scientific/professional societies.