When it comes to 3D printing, the sky is the limit. As 3D printing technology continues to advance, applications can be as far reaching as airplane and automobile parts to medical devices and even anatomically correct, biocompatible models. Although 3D printing technology is developing at a rapid pace, the technology itself is not new. It emerged in the 1980s as a means of creating rapid prototypes. In recent years the applications for 3D printed models have evolved with the available hardware, software, and printable materials. Evolving technology, paired with the creative and innovative minds of scientists, engineers, and physicians, has been the launching pad for developments within 3D printing technology specific to healthcare. One way 3D printing technology is poised to create better patient outcomes is in creating an anatomically and patient-specific models to aid in surgery and medical procedures. With the capability to 3D ...
Researchers in Germany have experimented with thin films, made from polymers, used in food packaging and mixed them with different types of salts to discover which composites absorb the highest amount of water.
The scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials in Bremen, Germany, used films from the following polymers: polypropylene (PP), polylactic acid (PLA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polystyrene (PS). They conducted studies to see which of the films kept relative humidity (RH) down, and then examined 
whether the films, combined with sodium chloride and calcium chloride, performed better at keeping RH stabilized.
whether the films, combined with sodium chloride and calcium chloride, performed better at keeping RH stabilized.
The most resistant film was PLA. But when PLA and PP, combined with sodium chloride, worked the best, reportsFoodProductionDaily.com.
Currently, polyamide, cellulose fibers, and dessicants, such as silica gel packets, are commonly found to help food and other products stay dry. But the novel films work better.
“The salt in the films absorb and desorb water vapor in high quantities,” says Sven Saengerlaub, who worked on the study. “It is 10 to 100 times more than desiccants, such as silica gel, can absorb.”
Humidity stabilization is important in the packaging of food. Humidity fluctuations can cause the buildup of water vapor, which many consumers consider to be non-hygenic; temperature fluctuations, agglomeration of powders, microbial growth, and the drying out of the food in the package.
Based on the study, Saengerlaub believes that these problems can largely be avoided if the films are used with molded parts made of the humidity-regulating polymercomposites containing salts. “We got good results for [mushrooms] where our results indicate a shelf life extension by several days,” he says. “Other products are powdery products or refrigerated products where temperature fluctuations cause water vapor condensation that needs to be prevented.”
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