APPLICATION OF PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS (PCM’S)

TO PRESERVE THE FRESHNESS OF SEAFOOD PRODUCTS

(APLIKASI PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS (PCM’S)

UNTUK MEMPERTAHANKAN KESEGARAN PRODUK MAKANAN LAUT)

Wiwik Pudjiastuti, Arie Listyarini, and Arief Riyanto

Center for Chemical and Packaging Ministry of Industry

Jl. Balai Kimia No.1, Pekayon, Pasar Rebo, Jakarta Timur, Indonesia

E-mail : wiwikpudjiastuti@yahoo.com

Received : 27 Januari 2015; revised : 27 Maret 2015; accepted : 30 Maret 2015

ABSTRACT

The application of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) as one of latent heat energy storage materials in smart cold
system has been investigated for preserving a freshness of seafood products. In this investigation, PCMs was
installed on Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) box system as insulated container. The freshness of the seafood
product was shown by the time of keeping temperature during storage or distribution. Keeping temperature time
of smart cold system using PCMs was compared to conventional cold system using ice cubes. The result shows
that EPS box system using PCMs can prolonged the keeping temperature time and reached colder temperature
than the conventional one. Microbiology test of products was monitored to prove that products occured no
changes in quality.

Keywords : Phase Change Materials (PCMs), EPS box

ABSTRAK

Aplikasi Phase Change Materials (PCMs) sebagai salah satu material penyimpan energi laten pada sistem
pendingin digunakan untuk mempertahankan kesegaran produk. Pada penelitian ini, PCMs diterapkan pada
sistem kotak expanded polistirena (EPS) sebagai kontainer berinsulasi. Kesegaran produk ditunjukkan oleh
tercapainya waktu suhu simpan selama penyimpanan atau distribusi. Waktu suhu penyimpanan dari sistem
pendingin yang menggunakan PCMs lebih rendah dibandingkan dengan pendinginan konvensional yang
menggunakan es balok. Hasil ini menunjukkan bahwa sistem kotak EPS yang menggunakan PCMs dapat
memperpanjang waktu suhu simpan dan mencapai suhu yang lebih rendah dibandingkan sistem pendingin
konvensional. Uji mikrobiologi dilakukan untuk membuktikan tidak terjadinya perubahan pada kualitas produk.

Kata kunci : Phase Change Materials (PCMs), Kotak EPS

INTRODUCTION

Indonesia is a tropical country with Perishable products have a shelf life of

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ambient temperature ranging from 20 C to 38 C relatively limited. As long their shelf life, value of
all the year. Whereas, kinds of perishable food the perishable products continuously declined
produced are fisheries, dairy products etc. that causes a loss. Loss of the quality and
These kind of products are needed to be quantity of seafood products starting from
preserved in low temperature which can ruined production to retail reach to 20% in developing
by high temperature. Indonesia is one of the countries and 10% in developed countries (Aung
largest producer of fisheries products because it et al. 2014). Besides efficient and effective, the
has a very extensive marine areas, one of the process of transportation and distribution chain
potential of marine fisheries is blue fin trevally of perishable products should be able to supply
and shrimp. In the period 2008 until 2012 the maintain shelf life, as well as the quality of the
development of fish production in Indonesian product.
reachs 5,502,622 tons in 2008 and Management temperature contribute
5,435,632 tons in 2012 (anonymous 2015). significant maintain for shelf life, quality, and the

Application Off Phase Change Materials (PCMs)………………Wiwik Pudjiastuti dkk 61

safety of perishable products (Margeirsson analysis of a low temperature storage unit using
2009; Margeirsson 2011). In the perishable PCMs without refrigeration system.
products, temperature stability is able to Storage and transport of sensitive
minimize the risk of decay due to the slowness temperature products at the final steps of the
the growth of the microorganisms. In addition to cold chain could be enhances in order to
the economical, the stability of the temperature improve the quality of food at this last stage in
also has a safety for perishable products. Frozen refrigerated or non refrigerated systems. In order
food or cold system transportation and storage to study the benefits of insulated containers
in an exellent method to preserve the taste, equipped with PCMs, seafood products such as
texture, nutritional value, and safety of food. blue fin trevally fish and frozen shrimp was
Therefore, storage and transportation of food at storaged in its and compare with conventional
low temperatures play an important role in the cold system that using ice cubes. The
cold chain (Oro et al. 2012). Generally, frozen temperatures change of seafood products and
food must be kept below -18 °C and the PCMs was observed and recorded during
temperature should be maintained below the storage or distribution. Microbiology test of
commercial system using ice cubes. It is well products was monitored to prove that products
known that temperature fluctuations during the occured no changes in quality.
storage in ice cubes could cause negative
dramatic effect to the quality of the frozen food. MATERIAL AND METHOD
PCMs (Phase Change Materials) is a
material with a high melting heat, melt and Material
freeze at a certain temperature and has the Blue fin trevally fish, frozen shrimp, phase
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ability to remove or produce a high enough change materials (PCMs) -4 C and -12 C was
energy. PCMs fairly broad application, especially supplied by KITECH, Expanded Polystyrene
3
for the cooling process. PCMs has a melting (EPS) Box with density of 18.892 g/cm , ice
point range from -33 °C to 101 °C with various cube, thermocouples, data acquistion unit, and
applications such as TEA-16, ethylene glycol, PC for data analysis.
n-Dodecane, and water that can be applied to
protect the freshness of frozen / chilled products Method
with melting points ranging from -16 ºC, Blue fin trevally fish or shrimp was enter
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-11.5 ºC, -9.6 °C, and 0 C (Zalba et al. 2001; into boxes of 30 kg each. PCMs -4 C was
Sharma et al. 2009; Meng 2008; Agyenim et al mounted to each of the 3 (three) pieces of PCMs
2010). It is widely known that PCMs can absorb to box 1 and box 2, and 12 (twelve) kg of ice
large amount of heat during melting at almost cubes in box 3 with configuration as shown in
constant temperature (Oro 2012; Manish et al Figure 1 and Figure 2 for fish but for shrimp
o
2013; Zsembinszki et al 2013). Insulated using PCMs -26 C.
containers equipped with PCMs could enhance Then thermocouple inserted on fish inside
the quality of the transportation of sensitive each box, thermocouple at once use for direct
temperature products, allowing flexibility to the observation temperature of fish. Trials
cold chain management. Oro et al (2012) placed discontinued if the temperature already reaches
o
PCMs panels in freezer to improve thermal 0 C because at that temperature occure the
performance of freezers and studied thermal quality decrease of fish. The EPS box during trial
can be shown in Figure 3.

(a) Box 1 (b) Box 2 (c) Box 3

Figure 1. (a) PCMs configuration in box 1; (b) PCMs configuration in box 2; (c) ice cubes in box 3

J. Kimia dan Kemasan, Vol.37 No.1 April 2015 : 61-66 62

 Figure 2. Blue fin trevally fish in EPS boxes

Figure 3. EPS boxes during trials

RESULT AND DISCUSSION temperature than the box 2. Comparing the

box 1 which is using PCMs with the box 3 using
This research was used blue fin trevally the ice cubes as its cooler, the results shown
fish and shrimp because this product is one of that box using PCMs can maintain the
marine products comodity for export and temperature colder than box using ice cubes.
requires certain conditions during storage and Box 1 using PCMs can maintain temperature at
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distribution to maintain its quality. -4 C to -5 C for 25 hours while box 3 that
Based on observations in Figure 4 shown using ice cubes only maintain temperature at
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that the box 1, box 2, and box 3 can storage and -3 C for 25 hours. This conclude that PCMs can
keep fish at temperatures below 0 °C for more substitute ice cubes to keep the freshness of the
than 25 hours. However, there was the seafood and better than ice cubes.
difference between three boxes. In the box 1, To examine any changes on the quality of
o
the temperature of pile of fish reaches -4 C, the stored fish using PCMs or ice cubes tested
o
while box 2 only reaches -2 C. The on microbial contamination has been done.
configuration of PCMs in box 1 is better than Microbial contamination test results can be seen
box 2. In box 1, heat absorption of fish and in the Table 1.
space in the box by PCMs were equitable Microbiology test results in Table 1 shows
distributed. Heat air that has been absorbed by that after storage in insulated containers
the PCM will move naturally (natural convection) equipped with PCMs occured no changes in
downward. Because fish was arranged quality.
compactly, the movement of cold air was Before being used the PCMs is freeze at
obstructed by piles of fish. In the box 1, one of the temperature of -30 °C for 15 hours. Frozen
the PCMs module is placed in the middle of the shrimp either during transportation and long term
box. Therefore, the temperature at the center of storage should be kept at a maximum
o
the pile of fish in box 1 can achieve lower temperature of -18 C. Using EPS box with

Application Off Phase Change Materials (PCMs)………………Wiwik Pudjiastuti dkk 63

PCMs is expected to achieve these conditions in ice cubes. So the EPS box with PCM can be
a long time. Box 1 using PCMs on the Figure 5 used as a transport container shrimp with a
can be seen that PCMs can maintain the considerable distance. The freshness of the
temperature of frozen shrimp at -18 °C for shrimp still maintains, it can be seen from the
18 hours. In comparison, frozen shrimp stored in appearance or visual before and after storage.
EPS box with ice cubes can maintain Shrimp still looks fresh and there are no signs of
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temperature at -18 C only for 6 hours. Box 2 decay. The results showed that no significant
using PCMs with difference configuration as increase on microbial contamination, it can be
box 1 shown that temperature can be reached seen in Table 2.
higher than box 1 but still lower than box 3 using

Figure 4. Temperature changes in the PCM and ice cube trials for distribution of blue fin trevally fish (from
thermocouple reading)

Table 1. Microbiology testing result of blue fin trevally fish

Test result
Microbial Requirement
No contamination Unit Early/Before After storage SNI 01.2729.1-
parameter storage 2006
with PCM With ice cube
Total plate count 3 3 3 5
1. col/g 7,7 x 10 3,1 x 10 3,7 x 10 Max. 5,0 x 10
(TPC)
2. E-coli APM/g <3 <3 <3 <2
3. Salmonella - Negative Negative Negative Negative

J. Kimia dan Kemasan, Vol.37 No.1 April 2015 : 61-66 64

 0,00
-2,00 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
-4,00
-6,00
-8,00
-10,00
oC

-12,00
Temperature,

-14,00
-16,00
-18,00
-20,00
-22,00
-24,00
-26,00
-28,00
-30,00
-32,00
-34,00
Period, Hours

Box 1 Box 2 Box 3

Figure 5. Temperature changes in the PCM and ice cube trials for distribution of shrimp

Table 2. Test result of microbial contamination of frozen shrimp

Test result Requirements
Microbial contamination
No Unit Early/Before SNI 01-2705.1-
parameter
storage After storage 2006
4 5 5
1. Total Plate Count (TPC) col/g 8,8 x 10 4,5 x 10 Max. 5,0 x 10

2. E Coli APM/g <3 <3 <2

3. salmonella - Negative Negative Negative

CONCLUSION of a perishable food supply chain.

Food Control 40:198 – 207.
EPS box using PCMs as cold system for Mai, N., B. Margeirsson, S. Maregeirsson, S.
storage or distribution of fish and shrimp can Bogason, and S. Arason. 2012.
keep in its temperature up to approximately Temperature mapping of fresh fish
more than 25 hours for fish and 15 hours for supply chains-air and sea transport.
shrimp. PCMs better than ice cubes for Journal of food process engineering 35
maintaining temperature during storage or (4): 622 – 656.
distribution of fresh fish, frozen shrimp, and Margeirsson, B., R. Gospavic, H. Palsson, S.
other seafood products. PCMs can also reuse Arason, and V. Popov. 2011.
until many times as long as module of PCMs are Experimental and numerical modelling
not damage while ice cubes only for once. comparison of thermal performance of
expanded polystyrene and corrugated
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