Cellulose nanofibrils in biobased multilayer films for food packaging

The aim of this study was to evaluate a thin, TEMPO‐oxidized (2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐1‐oxyl–mediated oxidation) cellulose nanofibril (CNF) coating as a barrier layer in multilayer packaging films together with biobased polyethylenes. The purpose was also to explore the possible interactions between food products and the biobased films, and to evaluate the feasibility of these films for packaging of dry foods. CNF provided the biobased multilayer films with an oxygen barrier suitable for both demanding food products and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). The MAP pouches made of these multilayer films retained their atmosphere and shape and protected ground hazelnuts from further oxidation for the storage time used in this study. However, irradiation used to sterilize packed foods and aroma compounds from clove in particular impaired the oxygen barrier property of the CNF layer, while the water vapor barrier property of the multilayer films remained unaffected. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44830.     

Development of antifungal films based on low‐density polyethylene and thyme oil for avocado packaging

Trilayer low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) films were prepared by incorporating varying concentrations of thyme oil, as the antifungal active additive for avocado packaging. A comprehensive thermal, structural, mechanical, and functional characterization of the prepared films was carried out. Thermal stability of the film reduced with the addition of thyme oil in higher concentration, whereas the degree of crystallinity increased upto 2.5 wt % thyme oil loading. The elastic modulus and elongation at break of the films decreased in presence of thyme oil. However, the incorporation of thyme oil did not change the water vapor transmission characteristics of the original film. The antifungal activity of the films was tested against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides causal organism of “anthracnose” postharvest disease in avocados. The results indicated that the films have great potential as antifungal packaging materials for avocado fruits. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43045.     

Mechanical and antimicrobial properties of multilayer films with a polyethylene/silver nanocomposite layer

A layer of a polyethylene–silver nanoparticles composite was deposited on a five layer barrier film structure. Different methods were used for the nanocomposite layer deposition: laminating, casting, and spraying over the multilayer structure. For the casting and spraying methods, the silver nanoparticles were previously dispersed in the polymer solution, with the assistance of ultrasound energy. The effect of silver nanoparticles and deposition method on the barrier, mechanical, and optical properties of the multilayer films was evaluated. The efficiency of silver ion release from the PE‐Silver nanocomposite deposited on the multilayer films and their antimicrobial characteristics were investigated and discussed. The silver ion release and biocide effect of the multilayer films was found to be dependant on the silver nanoparticle content and on the deposition method used. The observed results could be helpful in the design of industrial films for packaging. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

纳米MgO增强聚乳酸薄膜在食品包装领域的应用

采用溶液流延工艺制备了纳米MgO增强聚乳酸(PLA)薄膜。研究了纳米MgO质量分数分别为0.5%,2.0%,3.5%,6.0%的PLA/MgO薄膜的力学性能、阻隔性能、热性能等。结果表明:与PLA薄膜相比,纳米MgO质量分数为2.0%时,所制PLA/MgO薄膜具有最高的拉伸强度和断裂伸长率,这归功于纳米MgO在PLA基体内的分散均一性。     

Original antifouling strategy: Polypropylene films modified with chitosan-coated silver nanoparticles

A new coating strategy of polypropylene (PP) films with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is proposed to obtain surfaces with antifouling properties. As a first step, the photograft polymerization is used to produce polyacrylic acid-grafted PP (PAA-grafted PP) films. A green AgNP synthesis is used by thermal reduction of AgNO₃ with amino groups of chitosan (CS), which controls ion diffusion and stabilizes nanoparticles. AgNP/CS complexes are adsorbed on PAA-grafted PP by electrostatic interactions, yielding AgNP/CS-coated PP films. These films show an excellent antimicrobial activity, even for AgNP contents as low as 0.08 wt %, reducing more than 4 log units in the viable Staphylococcus aureus concentration or inducing Escherichia coli death. This trend is consistent with an adequate amount of small AgNP adsorbed in an organized manner within a thin surface layer. Therefore, the antimicrobial activity of this film seems to be more than promising, used as an active surface for a wide range of applications. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48448.     

Biobased mineral‐oil barrier‐coated food‐packaging films

Toxic mineral oils can migrate into foods from cardboard boxes made of recycled fibers. This is an emerging issue for the whole dry‐food‐packaging industry. Breakfast cereals, for example, are typically packaged in boxes with or without inner bags and consumed without further processing. Currently, fossil‐based high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) films are used as a major raw material for such inner bags. However, HDPE is a very poor barrier against mineral‐oil migration. Biobased coatings from cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), hydroxypropylated xylan, and hydroxypropylated cellulose were applied onto biobased high‐density polyethylene (bio‐HDPE) films, and the mineral‐oil barrier properties were evaluated. All of the coated films significantly decreased the migration of n‐decane, isobutylbenzene, 1‐cyclohexylbutane, 1‐cyclohexylheptane, and 1‐cyclohexyldecane. Biobased barrier bags prepared from (2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidin‐1‐yl)oxy oxidized CNF coated bio‐HDPE film protected the content to a great extent from mineral‐oil migration compared to noncoated bio‐HDPE and other commercial breakfast cereal‐bag films. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44586.     

Synthesis of clay–TiO2 nanocomposite thin films with barrier and photocatalytic properties for food packaging application

In this study, low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) nanocomposite films with two types of nanoparticles, TiO₂ (3 wt %) and Closite 20A (3 and 5 wt %), were prepared using a melt blow extrusion as an industrial method and their properties such as mechanical properties, water vapor, oxygen and carbon dioxide gas barrier, and antimicrobial activity were tested. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) were also performed to determine the degree of dispersion and exfoliation of nanoparticles. Mechanical test indicated that the reinforcement in the presence of the nanocomposites was more than that with their conventional counterparts, and the highest stiffness was achieved in a sample containing 5 wt % clay and 3 wt % TiO₂. Exfoliation of silicate layers and a good dispersion of TiO₂ nanoparticles in LDPE were achieved as confirmed by XRD and TEM. The gas barrier properties were improved after formation of the nanocomposites especially by insertion of 5 wt % of clay nanoparticles as a filler in the LDPE matrix. The photocatalytic effect of the nanocomposite film was carried out by antimicrobial evaluation against Pseudomonas spp. and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and by ethylene removal test using 8 W ultraviolet (UV) lamps with a constant relative intensity of 1 mW cm^?2. The greatest effects were recorded by combining UVA illumination and active film. It was also proven that the photocatalyst thin film with improved barrier properties prepared by extrusion could be used in horticultural product packaging applications. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41764.     

Electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol)/permutite fibrous film loaded with cinnamaldehyde for active food packaging

Electrospun ultra‐fine poly(vinyl alcohol)/permutite fibrous film loaded with cinnamaldehyde essential oil was successfully fabricated.The morphology of fibrous filmswas characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). The fibrous film exhibited microstructure features with high porosity with the pore size distributed ranging from 1.7 nm to 56.7 nm. And the root‐mean‐squared roughness of fibers lifted to 546.5 nm when the addition of cinnamaldehyde essential oil (CEO) reached 0.25 mL. Attenuated total reflectance‐fourier transform infrared (ATR‐FTIR) spectroscopyconfirmed the existence of CEO in fibrous films and revealed physical interaction rather than chemical interactions existing between the film matrix and CEO. Endothermic peaks presented in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) profile were probably rooted from existed mesoporous adsorption between the highly porous film matrix and CEO. Furthermore, the PVA/permutite/CEO fibrous film prolonged the shelf life of strawberries, confirming that the PVA/permutite/CEO fibrous film may be of interest for the development of active food packaging. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46117.     

Electrical characterization of individual metal‐coated polymer spheres used in isotropic conductive adhesives

Isotropic conductive adhesives (ICAs) filled with metal‐coated polymer spheres (MPS) have been proposed to improve the mechanical reliability compared to conventional ICAs filled with silver flakes. The electrical properties of MPS play an important role in the electrical performance of macroscopic MPS‐based ICAs. This article deals with the electrical characterization of individual MPS using a nanoindentation‐based flat punch method, in which the resistance and the deformation of single MPS were monitored simultaneously. Four groups of silver‐coated polymer spheres (AgPS) with identical polymer cores but different silver coating thicknesses were tested. The resistance of AgPS decreases gradually with increasing deformation degree of particles, and increases when the deformation of particles is reduced. In addition, the resistance of individual AgPS is dependent on the physical properties of the silver coating, such as thickness, uniformity, and porosity. The thicker the silver coating is, the lower and more stable the resistance of AgPS is. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43764.     

Development of a nanocomposite of polypropylene with biocide action from silver nanoparticles

This article presents the production of films based on blends of polypropylene (PP) and modified PP with the insertion of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) produced to generate a bactericidal effect. The 50/50 blend of PP and PP modified by irradiation in acetylene at a dose of 12.5 kGy was processed in a twin‐screw extruder. The addition of AgNPs in poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone) (PVP) solution was performed during processing in the extruder. The material was characterized by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, cytotoxicity assay, and a reduction in colony‐forming units. The PP–PVP1% AgNP film showed silver particles in the nanoscale, presented no cytotoxicity for mammalian cells, and presented antimicrobial effects against Gram‐negative Escherichia coli and Gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42218.     

Pullulan‐based films and coatings for food packaging: Present applications,emerging opportunities,and future challenges

Societal and industrial demands for lower environmental impact, cost effectiveness, and high‐performance goods and services are increasingly impacting the choice of technologies which are developed and deployed in consumer products. Like many other sectors, food packaging is moving to new technologies; the use of biopolymers is one of the most promising strategies toward an optimized use of traditional packaging materials (e.g., oil‐based plastics) without impairing the goal of extending shelf life. Among other food packaging materials, pullulan is attracting much attention due to its unique features. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of current and emerging applications of pullulan within the food packaging sector. In particular, the functional properties of interest for the food packaging industry will be discussed in light of the physicochemical attributes of this exopolysaccharide. Future challenges that may dictate the successful penetration of pullulan in the food packaging market are also outlined. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40539.     

Nylon‐coated ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fabric for enhanced penetration resistance

A coating of Nylon 6,6 or 6,12 was used to improve the penetration resistance of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fabric that would be potentially useful in the manufacture of flexible body armor against spike/knife threats. Quasi‐static test results for the spike penetrator showed a 77% and 86% improvement in the puncture resistance of Nylon 6,6 and Nylon 6,12 coated UHMWPE (respectively) over a neat fabric target of equivalent areal densities. Dynamic impact testing demonstrated dramatic improvement in the puncture resistance of nylon‐coated fabrics while only a slight improvement in stab resistance was observed comparing samples with equivalent areal densities. Photography of ruptured areas after quasi‐static testing revealed limited fiber motion or fiber stretching with no evidence of fiber pullout for nylon‐coated fabric samples in contrast to neat fabric. This suggests that there was a significant increase in energy absorption by nylon‐coated fabrics at impact. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40350.     

Antimicrobial polyethylene wax emulsion and its application on active paper‐based packaging material

Antimicrobial polyethylene wax (PEW) emulsions, prepared by emulsifying polyethylene wax grafted with polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PEW‐g‐PHGH), were used as wet‐end additives or coating materials for fabricating hydrophobic and anti‐mold hand‐sheets or paper. To obtain PEW‐g‐PHGH, maleic anhydride (MAH) was adopted as a bridging agent. The melt or solution grafting of MAH to PEW was performed to achieve the appropriate grafting degree and grafting efficiency. The resulting PEW‐g‐PHGH was emulsified using a homogenizer by means of surfactants, and the resulted emulsions were characterized in terms of particle size, zeta potential, charge density, minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), and adsorption capacity. After that the hydrophobicity of emulsion treated hand‐sheets was determined by measuring water contact angle (WCA). The morphology of the hand‐sheets treated by the emulsion was revealed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atom force microscope (AFM). Finally, the antimicrobial properties of the emulsion treated hand‐sheets were investigated by anti‐mold tests against Aspergillus niger and Chaetomium globosum. Results indicated that the PEW‐g‐PHGH emulsions exhibited good stability, high fiber adsorption capacity, and antimicrobial activity. The WCAs of the treated hand‐sheets reached 82°–140° with 80%～99.9% growth inhibition against fungi. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42214.     

Mechanical recycling of nanocellulose containing multilayer packaging films

The aim of this study was to demonstrate mechanical recycling of low density polyethylene (LDPE) films coated with a thin layer of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs). CNF acts as an effective barrier against oxygen and mineral oil residues. Two different CNF grades were tested, and both were applied onto plasma activated LDPE film using a pilot coating line. The coated films were shredded with the help of liquid nitrogen, compacted and compounded with virgin LDPE and compatibilizer, and processed into cast films and injection molded test specimens. The CNF coatings were completely blent as microscale agglomerates in the LDPE matrix. The effect of these agglomerates on the barrier and heat sealing properties was statistically insignificant compared to recycled uncoated LDPE. The mechanical properties were only moderately changed. CNF‐coated LDPE films can therefore be recycled back into films without sacrificing the characteristic properties of the base polymer. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46237.     

Facile fabrication of polyethylene/silver nanoparticle nanocomposites with silver nanoparticles traps and holds early antibacterial effect

Antibacterial polyethylene (PE)/silver nanoparticle (AgNP) nanocomposites containing AgNPs at concentrations of 5 × 10^?5, 5 × 10^?4, and 5 × 10^?3 wt % were fabricated and tested. Transmission electron microscopy revealed an even dispersion of surface AgNPs in the PE/AgNP nanocomposites. No AgNP agglomeration was observed. The tensile strength, elongation at break, and Young's modulus of these PE/AgNP nanocomposites were similar to those of neat PE. Differential scanning calorimetry demonstrated that the PE/AgNP nanocomposites and neat PE had similar melting and crystallization temperatures of 126 ± 0.5 and 109 ± 0.6°C, respectively. The heats of fusion of the PE/AgNP nanocomposites containing AgNPs at concentrations of 5 × 10^?5 and 5 × 10^?4 and of 5 × 10^?3 wt % were lower than those of neat PE by 5 and 7%, respectively. These PE/AgNP nanocomposites were immersed in shaking liquid cultures of the potential pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Salmonella typhimurium in the lag phase. The results show that the growth rates of all of the tested bacteria were restricted effectively after 1.5, 3, and 6 h of cultivation, respectively. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43331.     

Development of catechol-functionalized chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposite films incorporated with dual network coated layered clay for active packaging applications

In order to solve the problems of traditional plastic packaging materials like poor degradability and insufficient active packaging function, this study successfully designs and synthesizes tannic acid (TA)-titanium (Ti) dual network coated hydrotalcite-like layered clay (LDHs@TA-Ti) and catechol grafted chitosan (C-CS) based on the principle of mussel bionics. And a novel idea is first put forward to fabricate LDHs@TA-Ti/C-CS/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocomposite films by solution casting method. The result of infrared and thermal analysis indicate that strong interfacial interaction is formed in the nanocomposites, which leads to the limitation of molecular chain movement and the increase of glass transition temperature. Although the addition of LDHs@TA-Ti significantly increases the crystallization temperature, the crystallinity does not change significantly. The water resistance, UV barrier, tensile strength and antibacterial properties of the final nanocomposite films are improved significantly, and all the films show good transparency in the visible range. Especially when the addition amount of LDHs@TA-Ti reaches 1 wt%, compared with C-CS/PVA composite film, the UV (at 300 nm) barrier property and tensile strength are increased by 36.3% and 45.1% respectively. Therefore, LDHs@TA-Ti/C-CS/PVA nanocomposite films show great potential as environmentally friendly active packaging films or coatings in extending the shelf life of food products.     

Partial substitution of nitrocellulose by polyurethane resins in flexographic ink concentrates

The properties of flexographic inks obtained by the partial replacement of nitrocellulose (NC) resin with different amounts of polyurethane (PU) resins were evaluated for the statistical planning of mixtures to develop an optimum ink formulation. The formulations were developed using a statistical tool and they were found to present properties predicted by the tool. The results indicate that the substitution of the NC resin with PU resins leads to increased resistance of the ink film to delamination. The system obtained with the partial substitution of NC with PU has higher lamination bond strength than the pure NC-based system. The ink films of the formulations NC-based and NC/PU-based were evaluated by spectroscopy UV–vis, both inks have similar transparency of greater than 95% above 575 nm. When exposed to water, milk, and UV light, ink surfaces showed similar behavior in the atomic force microscope, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and UV–vis analysis. However, ink formulations with higher PU contents underwent higher photodegradation. Other properties such as the viscosity ink, gloss, coating strength, color, adhesion, and blocking of the NC/PU-based ink film did not vary significantly when compared to those of the standard ink produced exclusively with NC resin.     

Mechanical and barrier properties of cardboard and 3D packaging coated with microfibrillated cellulose

Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) is increasingly used with cellulosic substrates and especially with paper materials. Its use with cardboard remains not reported and the study of mechanical and barrier properties of MFC‐coated cardboard has been investigated in this article. The influence of coating process as well as the effect of MFC have been highlighted by comparing different MFC‐coated cardboard samples with PE‐coated cardboard samples. MFC was coated using bar coating process. Their distribution and homogeneity onto cardboard was observed using techniques such as SEM and FE‐SEM. Tests such as oxygen and air permeability, bending stiffness, and compressive strength have been carried out. The coating process used impacts significantly cardboard properties by two opposite ways: on one hand it damages the structure cohesion of cardboard decreasing its compressive strength; on the other hand it increases its bending stiffness by increasing considerably the samples thickness. The addition of MFC counterbalances the negative effects of the coating process: bending stiffness and compressive strength are indeed improved by 30% in machine direction. On the contrary, MFC does not enhance much cardboard barrier properties, although it considerably increases their water absorption. Within a framework of packaging application, MFC will rather have consequent effects on cardboard's properties as blend or as part of the multilayer structure. Other applications have to be considered for its use as top layer. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40106.     

Oxygen transfer in co‐extruded multilayer active films for food packaging

Oxygen scavenger applications in flexible food packaging are still limited due to the difficulty to ensure scavenging activity during storage and throughout the product shelf life. To avoid fast inactivation of the scavenger, multilayer active structures can be realized by inserting the active layer between two or more inert layers. In this work, an unsteady‐state 1D reaction‐diffusion mass transfer model was developed for predicting and optimizing the barrier‐to‐oxygen performance and the physical configurations of the co‐extruded multilayer active films. The film configuration was a three‐layers structure composed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as external inert layers, and PET with a polymeric oxygen scavenger as the core reactive layer. Scavenging activity of the multilayer film increased with the reactive layer thickness. Oxygen absorption reaction at short times decreased proportionally with the thickness of the external layers. The most appropriate combinations of inert‐to‐active film thickness were studied and analyzed. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2017     

UV-shielding antimicrobial zein films blended with essential oils for active food packaging

A comprehensive study on zein film blended with glycerol and essential oils (EOs) is presented in this work. In particular, ultra violet (UV) shielding property and antimicrobial efficacy of developed active zein films (ZF) are tested. The fabricated films show zero transmittance in the UV region as compare to commercial poly-film which shows 40%–80% of UV transmittance. Results show that films are effective against spoilage microorganisms. The incorporation of EOs in ZF significantly reduces the growth of microbes over fruit samples since day 3. Physical interactions existing between EOs along with glycerol and zein provide considerable barrier properties. The glass transition temperature of the film comes out to be 47.7°C having the tensile strength of 1.21 ± 0.05 MPa. TGA curves show major weight loss in the range of 220–375°C. In conclusion, edible active ZF can be used as healthy packages over food and drug to increase their shelf life.