Glass bottles having a metal closure are preferred for oxygen sensitive beverages e.g. beer. Using thinner closure which comprise polyvinyl chloride-free component is more sustainable. However, protecting the sealing performance as a result of metal closure thickness reduction is challenging. Here we show the relation between the leakage in beer bottles and surface roughness of three different thermoplastic elastomer seals. Compression relaxation and creep-recovery behavior of seals have been analyzed by using a dynamic mechanical analyzer. The results showed that metal downsizing was possible with Liner A (low density polyethylene (LDPE)/styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) and B (LDPE/ styrene-butadiene-styrene), but not with Liner C (high-density polyethylene/butyl rubber). Optimizing smaller surface topography parameters such as the surface roughness depth R_z, kurtosis S_ku, average void volume V_vv, arithmetic mean peak curvature S_pc, the density of surface peaks S_pd and higher peak material volume V_mp, peak material portion S_mr resulted in a better sealing performance. Liner C was found to show an increased leakage risk, since there was a high level of stress relaxation leading to a reduced sealing force. The sealing liner material with low relaxation, low elastic modulus and high creep recovery compliance was found to ensure better sealing when thinner metal closures are used.

Seal area represents the most problematic part in food packaging for controlling the moisture and gas ingress and preserving product quality. Understanding the mechanism of heat sealing, which is a widely used method in flexible packaging, is critical for maintaining product quality throughout the storage and preventing food waste. Likewise, understanding the factors causing the leak formation in the seal interface helps to avoid failures and increase integrity for all seal types produced by heat sealing methods. This review looks at heat sealing and its mechanisms in flexible food packaging materials and particularly focuses on the reasons behind the encountered seal integrity problems that have a detrimental effect on food quality and shelf life. Heat sealing mechanisms, form fill seal systems and seal types were analyzed. Then, factors affecting the leak formation have been grouped as process parameters, material properties, contaminants, and further processes, which is uncharted territory in open literature. Finally, the details of these groups and their interrelationships were examined and discussed. Revealed key factors as shown in this study are expected to guide future research for understanding leak formation mechanisms in flexible food packaging.

Thermoresponsive films are favorable for the packaging of fresh fruits and vegetable products as their gas permeabilities increase to a greater extent than commercial films when temperature abuse occurs during refrigerated storage. Thermoresponsive polyurethane (PU) films were synthesized from polyethylene glycol (PEG) with three different molecular weights (400, 1000, and 1500 g mol⁻¹), castor oil (CO) with two different proportions (30 and 50 %, CO/PEG ratio) and a constant level of 1,4-butanediol (BDO). The effects of these compositional factors on the thermal, mechanical, physical, structural, and gas barrier properties of the films were investigated. Melting temperatures (T_m) of the PU films varied from 25 to 29 °C and decreased with CO content. Glass transition temperatures (T_g) of the films were all below −32 °C and decreased by increased CO content. PU films with 1500 g mol⁻¹ PEG and 30 % CO/PEG ratio had better shape memory (R_r) and shape fixity (R_f) properties than others. O₂ permeabilities of the PU films were in the range of 1.99–7.25 barrer while their CO₂ permeabilities were between 10.3 and 18.3 barrer. The temperature sensitivity of the gas permeabilities of the PU films was higher than that of a commercial LDPE film, which makes them more appropriate for fresh produce packaging. Nevertheless, PU films were mechanically weaker and they had higher water vapor permeability compared to the LDPE film. These properties of the PU films need further improvements for potential packaging applications.

A series of drug-loaded pectin hydrogels were prepared by mixing method in two ion types, Ca⁺² or Zn⁺², for wound dressing applications and their drug release performances were investigated at pH 6.4 in four different calcium ion concentrations of external solution. Pectin hydrogels were synthesized in three different concentrations of initial pectin solution and theophylline was used as a model drug. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy were used for hydrogel characterization. Additionally, fluid handling capacity, swelling behavior, dehydration rate, dispersion characteristic, dressing pH determination, water vapor permeability, oxygen permeability, surface contact angle, flexibility, mass per unit area, and thickness were determined for selected hydrogels. One of the most valuable contributions of our study is that the concentration of initial pectin solution and calcium ion concentration of external solution are very important parameters to obtain an effective drug release. After evaluating all data, we have shown that flexible and transparent pectin-based wound dressings can be synthesized as a controlled drug release system. Zinc-containing hydrogel was antibacterial against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli but not suitable for cell migration. On the other hand, calcium-based hydrogel was nontoxic on the fibroblast cells and it had no negative effect on cell migration.

A thermoplastic polyurethane (PU) polymer was synthesized, casted into films, and specific and overall migration (OM) tests were applied. A new method with gas chromatography–flame ionization detector was proposed to measure specific migration (SM) of 1,4-butanediol from the PU film. OM values in the four established simulants were under the legal limits. Determination of 1,4-butanediol migrating from PU film to the three established simulants showed maximum SM result as 1.5 mg/kg which was far below the legal limits. Therefore, the PU film has a good potential as a safe food contact material. Moreover, the analytical method used for determination of SM of 1,4-butanediol resulted in good analytical characteristics and detection limits at ppm level.

Thermoplastic polyurethane (PU) polymers with different chemical compositions were synthesized and casted to films, and their water vapor barrier properties at different range of relative humidity (RH) were characterized. The water vapor permeability (WVP) of packaging films is one of their most important properties to identify their suitability for use as packaging materials and is rather a complicated phenomena if the polymer has polar nature. The WVPs of PU films are determined both by permeation measurements which are a steady-state method and water vapor sorption measurements which are a non-steady-state method. Effective permeability (P_eff), solubility (S_eff), and diffusion (D_eff) coefficients of PU films were determined at 23 °C within the RH range of 0–97%. It was found that P_eff, S_eff, and D_eff increased with increasing RH gradient due to water vapor and polymer interactions. Microscopic images showed that 1,4-butanediol (BDO) helped to improve porous structure. Castor oil (CO) caused a decrease in the intensity of active absorption sites, namely, the C=O···H-N hydrogen bonds between chains. Results of two methods were yielded in the same magnitude of order. In most cases, the non-steady-state (sorption) method yields higher WVP values than steady state. At 0➔85% RH, the difference was up to 8-fold. Conditioning and equilibrating of films at 50% RH helped to reach sorption data approximate to permeation data. It was suitable to use sorption measurements to estimate the WVP which is a considerable simplification for polar polymers, e.g., developed PU film.