PVA/CNC/TiO 2 nanocomposite for food-packaging: Improved mechanical, UV/water vapor barrier, and antimicrobial properties.

Although polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a promising biodegradable packaging material, it presents some disadvantages for food packaging such as poor ultraviolet (UV) and water vapor barrier properties, low mechanical strength, poor water resistance, and lack of antimicrobial properties. To overcome these limitations, novel PVA/cellulose nanocrystals (CNC)/titanium dioxide (TiO ₂ ) nanocomposites were developed, characterized, and demonstrated for potential food packaging applications. The mechanical strength, water vapor barrier, and UV barrier properties of PVA/CNC/TiO ₂ 5 % film (5 wt% TiO ₂ in the PVA/CNC matrix with 5 wt% of CNCs) increased by 55.8 %, 45.2 %, and 70,056.8 %, respectively, compared to those of a PVA film. In the antibacterial simulation test, PVA/CNC/TiO ₂ 5 % film could limit the growth of microorganisms for 14 days. In packaging tests with fresh garlic, PVA/CNC/TiO ₂ films effectively prevented weight loss and spoilage by external influences, indicating the potential of the PVA/CNC/TiO ₂ nanocomposites for food-packaging applications.
Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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