Abstract
This study aims at assessing the use of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) coupled with an adsorption system to measure water vapor transfer properties in micrometric size cellulose particles. This apparatus allows measuring successfully water vapor sorption kinetics at successive relative humidity (RH) steps on a dispersion of individual micrometric size cellulose particles (1 μg) with a total acquisition duration of the order of one hour. Apparent diffusivity and water uptake at equilibrium were estimated at each step of RH by considering two different particle geometries in mass transfer modeling, i.e. sphere or finite cylinder, based on the results obtained from image analysis. Water vapor diffusivity values varied from 2.4 × 10−14 m2 s−1 to 4.2 × 10−12 m2 s−1 over the tested RH range (0–80%) whatever the model used. A finite cylinder or spherical geometry could be used equally for diffusivity identification for a particle size aspect ratio lower than 2.
Highlights
The use of biocomposites based on a fully biosourced and biodegradable polymer matrix combined with micrometric size cellulose or lignocellulose-based fillers is gaining more and more attention in the field of food packaging
The aim of this work is to explore the potential of using the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) coupled with a water vapor adsorption/desorption system as a reliable methodology to evaluate water vapor transfer in individual micrometric size cellulose particles from water vapor kinetics recorded at different relative humidities, which i0s never possible with classical methods
This observation confirmed that recorded water vapor sorption kinetics occurred at the scale of individual particles and not at the scale of agglomerates of particles
Summary
The use of biocomposites based on a fully biosourced and biodegradable polymer matrix combined with micrometric size cellulose or lignocellulose-based fillers is gaining more and more attention in the field of food packaging. They constitute an answer to both environmental and socio-economical concerns by reducing our dependence to oil resources, decreasing environmental pollution while displaying specific new functionalities allowing to better preserve food products (Marie-Alix Berthet, Angellier-Coussy, Guillard, & Gontard, 2016).
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