Thermal Behavior of Alveoli with Phase Change Materials in Fruit Packaging

Fruits are perishable fresh products with a short shelf life after harvesting. Perishable foods and their shelf lives are directly related to the temperature at which they are stored. Refrigeration is therefore essential in the conservation of fruits, as it allows the temperature to be lowered, helping to delay microbial, physiological, and chemical changes. This work aimed to compare the thermal behaviors of alveoli with different phase change materials (PCMs) placed inside a modular packaging developed for the transport and storage of fruits. The cooling tests were carried out inside a cold storage chamber with the set-point programmed to 2 °C. To simulate the placement in packages exposed to the store environment, heating tests were carried out while the chamber door was opened and the packaging was exposed to external environmental conditions. The phase change materials tested were RT2HC, RT5HC, and RT8HC. The temperature variation in the tests during cooling and heating proved that the new type of alveoli with PCM inside the fruit transport packaging is extremely important, as it can extend the useful life of the fruits after they are removed from the cold chamber, managing to maintain adequate conservation conditions for longer in contact with room temperature. The phase change material RT8HC was the one that showed the best results overall, managing to maintain the temperature of the fruit inside the packaging at a temperature below 10 °C for up to eight hours after being exposed to ambient conditions of 20 °C.