Modified Polylactic Acid with Improved Impact Resistance in the Presence of a Thermoplastic Elastomer and the Influence of Fused Filament Fabrication on Its Physical Properties

Intelligent food packaging for smart sensing of food safety

In this contemporary era, with over 8 billion people worldwide, ensuring food safety has become more critical than ever. To address this concern, the introduction of intelligent packaging marks a significant breakthrough. Essentially, this innovation tackles the challenge of rapid deterioration in perishable foods, which is vital to the well-being of communities and food safety. Unlike traditional methods that primarily emphasize shelf-life extension, intelligent packaging goes further by incorporating advanced sensing technologies to detect signs of spoilage and contamination in real-time, such as changes in temperature, oxygen levels, carbon dioxide levels, humidity, and the presence of harmful microorganisms. The innovation can rely on various packaging materials like plastics, metals, papers, or biodegradable polymers, combined with sophisticated sensing techniques such as colorimetric sensors, time-temperature indicators, radio-frequency identification tags, electronic noses, or biosensors. Together, these elements form a dynamic and tailored packaging system. This system not only protects food from spoilage but also offers stakeholders immediate and adequate information about food quality. Moreover, the real-world application on seafood, meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables demonstrates the feasibility of using intelligent packaging to significantly enhance the safety and shelf life of a wide variety of perishable goods. By adopting intelligent packaging for smart sensing solutions, both the food industry and consumers can significantly reduce health risks linked with contamination and reduce unnecessary food waste. This underscores the crucial role of intelligent packaging in modern food safety and distribution systems, showcasing an effective fusion of technology, safety, and sustainability efforts aimed at nourishing a rapidly growing global population.

Fused Filament Fabrication 3D Printing: Quantification of Exposure to Airborne Particles

Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) has been established as a widely practiced Additive Manufacturing technique, using various thermoplastic filaments. Carbon fibre (CF) additives enhance mechanical properties of the materials. The main operational hazard of the FFF technique explored in the literature is the emission of Ultrafine Particles and Volatile Organic Compounds. Exposure data regarding novel materials and larger scale operations is, however, still lacking. In this work, a thorough exposure assessment measurement campaign is presented for a workplace applying FFF 3D printing in various setups (four different commercial devices, including a modified commercial printer) and applying various materials (polylactic acid, thermoplastic polyurethane, copolyamide, polyethylene terephthalate glycol) and CF-reinforced thermoplastics (thermoplastic polyurethane, polylactic acid, polyamide). Portable exposure assessment instruments are employed, based on an established methodology, to study the airborne particle exposure potential of each process setup. The results revealed a distinct exposure profile for each process, necessitating a different safety approach per setup. Crucially, high potential for exposure is detected in processes with two printers working simultaneously. An updated engineering control scheme is applied to control exposures for the modified commercial printer. The establishment of a flexible safety system is vital for workplaces that apply FFF 3D printing.