University Research Group use Systech 8001 OTR analyser to test oxygen barrier properties of biodegradable packaging materials.
(1888PressRelease) April 09, 2016 - At The University of Helsinki, one of the research programmes, at the Department of Food & Environmental Sciences, is the Hemicellulose Research Group. Their focus area is the structure and function of polysaccharides in producing plant derived hemicellulosic polymers for the development of biodegradable films and coatings.
Hemicelluloses consist of several structurally different polysaccharides that exist in the plant cell walls closely associated with cellulose. Polysaccharides offer a sustainable alternative to synthetic plastics, which are widely used as food packaging materials. To protect the packed product from the outside environment, barrier properties as well as mechanical strength and flexibility are required. The presence of oxygen inside food packaging is associated with deterioration of the food, reducing the quality and taste of the product. Polysaccharides have shown to provide a good barrier against the permeation of oxygen.
The Hemicellulose research group have chosen the Systech Illinois 8001 oxygen permeation analyser to test the barrier properties of the polysaccharide films. This leading analytical instrument offers precision temperature, humidity and flow control providing consistent and repeatable test conditions. With a wide sample temperature range and a controllable relative humidity range it has a quick changeover from wet to dry sample runs. It has the widest measurement range in the market making it ideal for research and development permeation testing.
Kirsi Mikkonen, Principal Investigator says: 'We find that the Systech 8001 is a versatile oxygen permeation analyser, having a large measurement range and allowing us to adjust the RH and temperature at wide scale. The RH control is especially important with hydrophilic biopolymer-based films that we study. Additionally, the external climate cabinet included in our setup enables analysis of various shapes of packaging at controlled conditions.'
References of published work using the 8001 instrument:
Visanko, M., Liimatainen, H., Sirviö, J. A., Mikkonen, K. S., Tenkanen, M., Sliz, R., Hormi, O. & Niinimäki, J. 2015. Butylamino-functionalized cellulose nanocrystal films: barrier properties and mechanical strength. RSC Advances. 5 p. 15140-15146.
Kisonen, V., Prakobna, K., Xu, C., Salminen, A., Mikkonen, K. S., Valtakari, D., Eklund, P., Seppälä, J., Tenkanen, M. & Willför, S. 2015.
Composite films of nanofibrillated cellulose and O-acetyl galactoglucomannan (GGM) coated with succinic esters of GGM showing potential as barrier material in food packaging. Journal of Materials Science. 50, 8, p. 3189-3199.
Bober, P., Liu, J., Mikkonen, K. S., Ihalainen, P., Markus, P., Plumed-Ferrer, C., von Wright, A., Lindfors, T., Xu, C. & Latonen, R-M. 2014. Biocomposites of nanofibrillated cellulose, polypyrrole and silver nanoparticles with electroconductive and antimicrobial properties. Biomacromolecules. 15, 10, p. 3655-3663.
University Research Group use Systech 8001 OTR analyser to test oxygen barrier properties of biodegradable packaging materials. 
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