Maja Brozović

Reduced water permeability of biodegradable PCL nanocomposite coated paperboard packaging

In this work, we studied the properties of printed paperboard samples coated with biodegradable PCL polymer, which was considered to overcome the disadvantages (barrier properties) of a paper-based material. Additionally, the samples were coated with PCL modified with SiO2 and Al2O3 nanoparticles. The characterization of the coated paperboard (with print) samples was made by determination of water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), contact angle of water and its evolution over time, and mechanical and visual properties. The samples were also examined by SEM microscopy. The results show that PCL and PCL coatings modified with SiO2 and Al2O3 nanoparticles slow down the water vapor transmission rate when compared to the paperboard without coatings. The water contact angle measurements show an increase in hydrophobicity in paperboard coated with PCL-SiO2, while PCL-Al2O3 shows a decrease when compared to neat paperboard and paperboard coated with neat PCL. The studied coated samples also improve mechanical properties of paperboard while preserving the visual properties of print.

Surface characteristics and enhancement of water vapour properties of paperboard coated with polycaprolactone nanocomposites

Abstract Offset printed paperboard coated with polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer and nanoparticles was studied to elucidate the interactions and adhesion in two-layered packaging material. SiO2, Al2O3 and ZnO nanoparticles were used due to their specific interactions with water vapour that results in inhibition of water permeability. The good dispersion of nanoparticles in PCL matrix is crucial for enhancement of the barrier properties of coated paperboard. To gain an insight into the interactions between the nanoparticles, paperboard and PCL matrix determination of surface parameters was performed. The samples were characterized for water vapour permeability, mechanical and thermal properties. Their morphology was analysed by SEM microscopy, FTIR and UV/Vis spectroscopy. UV stability of the PCL nanocomposites coatings was also studied. It can be concluded that the nanoparticles have a significant effect on the surface properties and they influenced adhesion between paperboard and PCL coating.

Improving visual search in instruction manuals using pictograms

Abstract Instruction manuals provide important messages about the proper use of a product. They should communicate in such a way that they facilitate users’ searches for specific information. Despite the increasing research interest in visual search, there is a lack of empirical knowledge concerning the role of pictograms in search performance during the browsing of a manual’s pages. This study investigates how the inclusion of pictograms improves the search for the target information. Furthermore, it examines whether this search process is influenced by the visual similarity between the pictograms and the searched for information. On the basis of eye-tracking measurements, as objective indicators of the participants’ visual attention, it was found that pictograms can be a useful element of search strategy. Another interesting finding was that boldface highlighting is a more effective method for improving user experience in information seeking, rather than the similarity between the pictorial and adjacent textual information. Implications for designing effective user manuals are discussed. Practitioner Summary: Users often view instruction manuals with the aim of finding specific information. We used eye-tracking technology to examine different manual pages in order to improve the user’s visual search for target information. The results indicate that the use of pictograms and bold highlighting of relevant information facilitate the search process.