Thesis
Cold atmospheric-pressure plasmas applied to active packaging of apples
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2009
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/102678
Abstract
Active packaging of fruits and vegetables uses films that absorb molecules from or contribute molecules to the produce. Applying thin film to specific parts of a plant will enhance safe and economic adoption of expensive biofilms and biochemicals which would damage the plant or surrounding environment if misapplied. The pilot application developed in this work has resulted in the deposition of film to apples. A prospective application relates to replacing hot wax which is expensive and which lowers the textural quality of the apple. This was the early motivation of this work; moreover the focus of this research will be mostly on the reactor design and film evaluation. The cold plasma zone was obtained by increasing the voltage on a needle-to-needle electrode structure until the electric field in the feed material (Argon + monomer) was sufficiently high to yield electron avalanches and self propagating streamers. The "corona onset criterion" was used to design the cold plasma reactor. The apple was placed in a treatment chamber downstream from the activation zone (cold plasma zone). Selected physical properties of the film were measured. ESEM and FTIR study of samples was also performed to determine the presence of the film. Electromagnetic modeling was applied to the design of the cold plasma reactor and those results are presented in this work.
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Details
- Title
- Cold atmospheric-pressure plasmas applied to active packaging of apples
- Creators
- Sulmer A. Fernández Gutierrez
- Contributors
- Patrick D. Pedrow (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525392401842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis