On the Mechanism of Electron Beam Radiation-Induced Modification of Poly(lactic acid) for Applications in Biodegradable Food Packaging

Grosvenor, Eleanor C.; Hughes, Justin C.; Stanfield, Cade W.; Blanchard, Robert L.; Fox, Andrea C.; Mihok, Olivia L.; Lee, Kristen; Brodsky, Jonathan R.; Hoy, Ann; Uniyal, Ananya; Whitaker, Sydney M.; Acha, Chris; Gibson, Kalina; Ding, Lilly; Lewis, Catherine A.; González López, Lorelis; Wentz, Charlotte M.; Sita, Lawrence R.; Al-Sheikhly, Mohamad

doi:10.3390/app12041819

i

On the Mechanism of Electron Beam Radiation-Induced Modification of Poly(lactic acid) for Applications in Biodegradable Food Packaging

2022
By Grosvenor, Eleanor C. ; Hughes, Justin C. ; Stanfield, Cade W. ; ...

Details

Journal Title:

Applied Sciences
Personal Author:

Grosvenor, Eleanor C. ; Hughes, Justin C. ; Stanfield, Cade W. ; Blanchard, Robert L. ; Fox, Andrea C. ; Mihok, Olivia L. ; Lee, Kristen ; Brodsky, Jonathan R. ; Hoy, Ann ; Uniyal, Ananya ; Whitaker, Sydney M. ; Acha, Chris ; Gibson, Kalina ; Ding, Lilly ; Lewis, Catherine A. ; González López, Lorelis ; Wentz, Charlotte M. ; Sita, Lawrence R. ; Al-Sheikhly, Mohamad
NOAA Program & Office:

OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research)
Description:

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biodegradable polymer used for food packaging. The effects of electron beam radiation on the chemical and physical properties of amorphous PLA were studied. In this study, amorphous, racemic PLA was irradiated at doses of 5, 10, 15, and 20 kGy in the absence of oxygen. Utilizing electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry, it was found that alkoxyl radicals are initially formed as a result of C-O-C bond scissions on the backbone of the PLA. The dominant radiation mechanism was determined to be H-abstraction by alkoxyl radicals to form C-centered radicals. The C-centered radicals undergo a subsequent peroxidation reaction with oxygen. The gel permeation chromatography (GPC) results indicate reduction in polymer molecular mass. The differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction results showed a subtle increase in crystallinity of the irradiated PLA. Water vapor transmission rates were unaffected by irradiation. In conclusion, these results support that irradiated PLA is a suitable material for applications in irradiation of food packaging, including food sterilization and biodegradation.
Keywords:

Computer Science Applications Fluid Flow And Transfer Processes General Engineering General Materials Science Instrumentation Process Chemistry And Technology Fluid Flow And Transfer Processes Process Chemistry And Technology Fluid Flow And Transfer Processes Process Chemistry And Technology
Source:

Applied Sciences, 12(4), 1819
DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3390/app12041819
ISSN:

2076-3417
Format:

PDF
Publisher:

MDPI AG
Document Type:

Journal Article
Funding:

Grant no. NA14OAR4170090 ; Grant no. NA18OAR4170070
License:

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Rights Information:

CC BY
Compliance:

Library
Main Document Checksum:

urn:sha256:7573f0930cab77ec455293549ae9d60cd485833c56613cce3b1e34f3e3112e77
Download URL:

https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/58708/noaa_58708_DS1.pdf
File Type:

[PDF - 3.63 MB ]

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