Effects of chain extender and uniaxial stretching on the properties of PLA/PPC/mica composites

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC)/mica composites with different amount of chain extender (CE) were melt compounded and then processed via two routes (compression molding and uniaxial stretching) into sheets and films. The tensile, thermal, and oxygen barrier properties of all the samples were investigated. Tensile test showed that the tensile strength and elongation at break of all films were much higher than that of all sheets, especially for PLA/PPC/mica with 0.9‐wt% CE composite (CM₃(CE)_0.9) film. The crystallinity of all films increased significantly after uniaxial stretching of sheet samples. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results proved the chemical reactions occurred between PLA/PPC and CE. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis revealed that compatibility and interfacial adhesion of all samples were improved after adding mica and CE, and they were further enhanced after uniaxial stretching. The addition of CE was not favorable to improve the oxygen barrier performance of PLA/PPC/mica sheet samples. However, the oxygen barrier performance of film samples was significantly improved after uniaxial stretching. In particular, the CM₃(CE)_0.9 film had the lowest oxygen permeability coefficient (1.4 × 10^?15 cm³·cm/(cm²·s·Pa)), and this was the best oxygen barrier properties reported in the literature for PLA‐based composites, which was comparable with PA film. This study demonstrated the high efficiency of uniaxial stretching on improvement of properties of composites, which would promote the application of biodegradable polymers in oxygen sensitive food packaging.     

Mechanically robust,flame-retardant and anti-bacterial nanocomposite films comprised of cellulose nanofibrils and magnesium hydroxide nanoplatelets in a regenerated cellulose matrix

Nanocomposite films consisting of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), magnesium hydroxide nanoplatelets (MHNPs) and regenerated cellulose were prepared via simple blending and casting processes. The CNFs were obtained from bamboo pulp by ultrasonic treatment coupled with high shear homogenization. The morphology, structure and properties of the nanocomposite films were comprehensively analyzed using various characterization techniques, including the scanning electron microscope, digital microscope, limiting oxygen index (LOI), micro-scale combustion calorimetry, antibacterial assays, tensile testing, etc. When the MHNP content was optimized to 30 wt%, the nanocomposite film exhibited the best overall properties. The LOI of the composite film increased from 20.0 (0 wt% MHNPs) to 32.7 (30 wt% MHNPs), making it a flame-retardant material in air. In addition, the film containing 30 wt% MHNPs showed excellent antibacterial activity. However, the increase in MHNP content would result in gradual deterioration of the films’ mechanical properties. However, the incorporation of CNFs could significantly suppress this trend. The present work provided a promising pathway for manufacturing multifunctional and high-performance cellulose-based composite films, which were potentially useful for a variety of packaging materials, especially in the biomedical and food packaging fields.     

Characterization of an antimicrobial poly(lactic acid) film prepared with poly(ε‐caprolactone) and thymol for active packaging

Antimicrobial active films based on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) were prepared with poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) and thymol (0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 wt%) by solvent casting methods. The films were characterized by thermal, structural, mechanical, gas barrier, and antimicrobial properties. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that the surface of film became rougher with certain porosity when thymol was incorporated into the PLA/PCL blends. Thymol acted as plasticizers, which reduce the intermolecular forces of polymer chains, thus improving the flexibility and extensibility of the films. The addition of PCL into the pure PLA film decreased the glass transition temperature of the films. The presence of thymol decreased the crystallinity of PLA phase, but did not affect the thermal stability of films. Water vapor barrier properties of films slightly decreased with the increase of thymol loading. The antimicrobial properties of thymol containing films showed a significant activity against Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes. The results indicated the potential of PLA/PCL/thymol composites for applications in antimicrobial packaging. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs) Induced Crystallization of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) Super Performing Nanocomposite Films

This study is aimed to explore the properties of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite films with and without 1,2,3,4‐butane tetracarboxylic acid (BTCA), a nontoxic crosslinker. CNC and CNC‐PVA nanocomposite films are prepared using solution‐casting technique. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses show that crosslinking increased the glass transition temperature but reduced the melting temperature and crystallinity. Furthermore, high CNC concentrations in the PVA matrix interfere with PVA crystallinity, whereas in specific ratio between CNC and PVA, two different crystalline structures are observed within the PVA matrix. Film surfaces and fracture topographies characterized using scanning electron microscope indicate that at certain CNC‐PVA ratios, micron‐sized needle‐like crystals have formed. These crystalline structures correlate with the remarkable improvement in mechanical properties of the CNC‐PVA nanocomposite films, that is, enhanced tensile strain and toughness to 570% and 202 MJ m^?3, respectively, as compared to pristine PVA. BTCA enhances the tensile strain, ultimate tensile stress, toughness, and modulus of CNC films compared to pristine CNC films. Water absorption of crosslinked CNC and CNC‐PVA nanocomposite films is significantly reduced, while film transparency is significantly improved as a function of PVA and crosslinker content. The presented results indicate that CNC‐PVA nanocomposite films may find applications in packaging, and though materials applications.     

Structure and properties of clay nano‐biocomposites based on poly(lactic acid) plasticized with polyadipates

The use of nano‐biocomposites based on plasticized poly(lactic acid) (PLA) has been proposed as a way to improve the polymer ductility and to expand PLA applications window. Novative nano‐biocomposites were elaborated with PLA plasticized by polyadipates (15 wt%) with different molar masses (from 1500 to 2500 Da), with 2.1 wt% of an organo‐modified montmorillonite (O‐MMT). These materials showed enhanced ductility and barrier properties. The clay was swelled in liquid polyadipates prior to their blending with PLA to facilitate chains intercalation and nanofiller exfoliation during melt‐blending. In certain processing conditions, quite homogenous and exfoliated structures were obtained, as shown by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) results. Irrespective of the average molar mass of the polyadipate, the clay addition induced a reduction in around 25% in oxygen transmission rate (OTR) without an important detriment in tensile properties. Nano‐biocomposites prepared with higher molar masses polyadipates showed the highest thermal stability as well as the lowest OTR, resulting in very promising and novative materials for different applications such as soft packaging. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Facile fabrication of chitosan active film with xylan via direct immersion

Chitosan film was immersed in NaOH solution with xylan to simply prepare active chitosan/xylan film. FT-IR, XRD, FE-SEM, AFM and XPS were used to evaluate the effects of xylan on the structure and morphology of chitosan film, and a wide variety of material characteristics of the chitosan/xylan composite films were investigated. The results showed that the xylan chains entered into the gap of chitosan film and became nodules, leading to strong hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions between chitosan and xylan. Moreover, the introduction of xylan not only resulted in stronger crystallinity and a more compact structure of chitosan film, but also had an important effect on the properties of chitosan film. The tensile strength, breaking elongation and anti-ultraviolet performance of the chitosan/xylan films were improved greatly with the increasing concentration of xylan; the water vapor transmission rate, water absorption rate and oxygen barrier property of chitosan/xylan composite films were higher than those of chitosan film; chitosan/xylan composite films still showed hydrophobicity when the xylan concentration was more than 1 %. The chitosan/xylan composite film has more potential to be used as food packaging than pure chitosan film.     

Melt‐blending of unmodified and modified cellulose nanocrystals with reduced graphene oxide into PLA matrix for biomedical application

In this article, we successfully fabricated the bionanocomposites using cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) reinforced into biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) matrix through melt‐mixing method. Due to the affinity difference between hydrophilic CNC and hydrophobic PLA, the surface modification of CNC was employed using quaternary ammonium salts (CTAB) as a surfactant. The nanocomposites were developed using different blend ratios of CNC/modified CNC (1, 2, and 3) wt% and (0.5 wt%) rGO into the polymer matrix. The morphology of CNC, q‐CNC (modified CNC), and nanocomposites were inspected by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). It is demonstrated from tensile tests that, the nanocomposite with 1 wt% CNC and rGO showed maximum tensile strength compared with PLA and its nanocomposites. Moreover, the nanocomposite with 1 wt% CNC and rGO was also having maximum thermal stability. From cytotoxicity evaluation, it is observed that all the nanocomposites are nontoxic and cytocompatible to HEK293 cells. In addition to this, the nanocomposite with q‐CNC showed enhanced barrier properties compared with PLA and PLA/CNC/rGO nanocomposite. The results obtained from different characterizations showed that the incorporation of surfactant onto CNC improved the dispersion in PLA but at the same time deteriorated the PLA matrix.     

Antimicrobial,mechanical, barrier,and thermal properties of bio‐based poly (butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT)/Ag2O nanocomposite films for packaging application

Bio‐based nanocomposites of poly (butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT)/silver oxide (Ag₂O) were prepared by the composite film casting method using chloroform as the solvent. The prepared Ag₂O at different ratios (1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 wt%) is incorporated in the PBAT. The PBAT nanocomposite films were subjected to structural, thermal, mechanical, barrier, and antimicrobial properties. The electron micrographs indicated uniform distribution of Ag₂O in the PBAT matrix. However, the images indicated agglomeration of Ag₂O particles at 10 wt% loading. The thermal stability of the nanocomposite films increased with Ag₂O content. The tensile strength and elongation of the composite films were found to be higher than those of PBAT and increased with Ag₂O content up to 7 wt%. The PBAT‐based nanocomposite films showed the lower oxygen and water vapor permeability when compared to the PBAT film. Antimicrobial studies were performed against two food pathogenic bacteria, namely, Klebsiella pneumonia and Staphylococcus aureus.     

Preparation and characterization of phosphorylated graphene oxide grafted with poly(L‐lactide) and its effect on the crystallization,rheological behavior,and performance of poly (lactic acid)

Phosphorylated graphene oxide (PGO) was prepared by using phosphoric acid as functional reagent, and PGO was grafted with poly(L‐lactide) (PGO‐PLLA) by ring‐opening polymerization of L‐lactide as monomer under nano‐ZnO catalyst. The results of the orthogonal analysis showed the optimum reaction conditions to be as follows: the reaction temperature of 170°C, reaction time of 14 hours, the mass ratio of PGO of 10 wt%, and the mass of nano‐ZnO of 1 wt%. PGO‐PLLA was characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which demonstrated that the PLLA molecular chains were successfully grafted onto the surface of PGO. Poly (lactic acid)/PGO‐PLLA nanocomposites (PLA/PGO‐PLLA) were prepared by melt intercalation. Mechanical test and fracture scanning electron microscopy showed that PGO‐PLLA (0.3 wt%) improved impact strength of PLA by 52.19%, which resulted in ductile fractures surface of PLA/PGO‐PLLA. Microcalorimetry and thermal degradation kinetics proved that PGO‐PLLA improved the thermal stability of PLA. Polarized optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry confirmed that PGO‐PLLA increased crystallization rate and spherulite kernel density of PLA, and crystallinity of PLA/PGO‐PLLA reached to 22.05%. Rheological behavior proved that PGO‐PLLA increased the self‐lubricity of PLA. Enzymatic degradation results illustrated that PGO‐PLLA had some inhibition for the biodegradability of PLA based nanocomposites.     

Gold surface plasmon crystal structure based‐on polystyrene template for biosensor application

In this communication, we assembled ordered polystyrene (PS) microsphere array as a template with the drop‐coating method, and the oxygen plasma was used to etch the template to adjust the spacing between the PS microspheres. Nano‐triangular gold array and silver nano‐pyramid array were obtained by ion beam sputtering to deposit precious metal gold and silver. We observed the surface morphology of Au and Au/Ag composite films by scanning electron microscope and characterized the films by X‐ray diffraction and ultraviolet/visible light spectrophotometer. The results show that the etching time of oxygen plasma has an obvious effect in adjusting the spacing between PSs and has a significant effect on the morphology of Au structure.     

Tough crystalline blends of polylactide with block copolymers of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol

The effect of crystallinity of polylactide (PLA) on the structure and properties of tough PLA blends with PEG-b-PPG-b-PEG block copolymers was studied. PLA was melt blended with a set of the copolymers with varying ratio of the hydrophilic (PEG) and hydrophobic (PPG) blocks. Although the blend phase structure depended on the copolymer molar mass and PEG content, as well as on the copolymer concentration in the blend, crystallinity also played an important role, increasing the copolymer content in the amorphous phase and enhancing phase separation. The influence of crystallinity on the thermal and mechanical properties of the blends depended on the copolymer used and its content. The blends, with PLA crystallinity of 25 ÷ 34 wt%, exhibited relatively high glass transition temperature ranging from 45 to 52 °C, and melting beginning above 120 °C. Although with a few exceptions crystallinity worsened the drawability and toughness, these properties were improved with respect to neat crystalline PLA in the case of partially miscible blends, in which fine liquid inclusions of the modifier were dispersed in PLA rich matrix. About 20-fold increase of the elongation at break and about 4-fold increase of the tensile impact strength were reached at a small content (10 wt%) of the modifier. Moreover, crystallinity decreased oxygen and water vapor transmission rates through neat PLA and the blend, and the barrier property for oxygen of the latter was better than that of neat polymer.     

Functional properties of microwave‐absorbent nanocomposite coatings based on thermoplastic polyurethane‐based and hybrid carbon‐based nanofillers

This paper describes the effect of nanofillers, such as nanographite, nickel–zinc ferrite (NiZnFerrite), and in‐house developed hybrid nanographite particles (i.e. iron‐coated nanographite [FeNG] and iron–nickel co‐deposited nanographite [FeNiNG] particles), on microwave‐absorption properties of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) based nanocomposite coatings on textile substrate. The flexible coatings were tested for various functional properties such as microwave absorbency, gas barrier property, impedance, and weather resistance. The comparison has also been made with other fillers such as bulk graphite (G) and iron powder (Fe) and carbon nanofiber (CNF) in coating form. The nanoparticles' dispersion was observed through optical microscope and phase image analysis on atomic force microscopy. The impedance behavior of such coated samples with 10 wt% nanofillers is frequency dependent except for CNF, which shows frequency‐independent behavior even at 2 wt% loading. The gas barrier property of the FeNG‐based and FeNiNG‐based coatings is better than that of pure TPU; however, G‐based, NG‐based, and NiZnFerrite‐based coatings show excellent barrier property. The coatings were evaluated for their microwave absorbency at low‐frequency (from 0.3 to 1.5 GHz) as well as high‐frequency (8–18 GHz) ranges. The FeNG‐based and FeNiNG‐based nanocomposite coatings showed good absorbency over a frequency range of 8 to 14 GHz as compared with those of others. The flexibility of the nanocomposite films is almost retained even at 10 wt% nanofiller loading. The weather resistance of the films was also evaluated, and the FeNiNG‐based coating outperformed the FeNG‐based coating as the latter is prone to oxidation on exposure to environment. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Poly(lactic acid)/(styrene‐ethylene‐butylene‐styrene)‐g‐maleic anhydride copolymer/sepiolite nanocomposites: Investigation of thermo‐mechanical and morphological properties

In this study, sepiolite nanoclay is used as reinforcing agent for poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/(styrene‐ethylene‐butylene‐styrene)‐g‐maleic anhydride copolymer (SEBS‐g‐MA) 90/10 (w/w) blend. Effects of sepiolite on thermal behavior, morphology, and thermomechanical properties of PLA/SEBS‐g‐MA blend were investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry results showed 7% improvement in crystallinity at 0.5 wt% of sepiolite. The nanocomposite exhibited approximately 36% increase in the tensile modulus and 17% increase in toughness as compared with the blend matrix at 0.5 and 2.5 wt% of sepiolite respectively. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images exhibited sepiolite‐induced morphological changes and dispersion of sepiolite in both PLA and SEBS‐g‐MA phases. Dynamic mechanical analysis and wide angle X‐ray diffraction present evidences in support of the reinforcing nature of sepiolite and phase interaction between the filler and the matrix. This study confirms that sepiolite can improve tensile modulus and toughness of PLA/SEBS‐g‐MA blend.     

Crystallinity and dimensional stability of biaxial oriented poly(lactic acid) films

Transparent biaxial oriented poly(lactic acid) (BOPLA) films with improved dimensional stability were successfully prepared by controlling the crystallization of poly(lactic acid) (PLA). The crystalline morphology of PLA films can be manipulated by changing certain processing parameters, such as stretch ratio, heat setting temperatures, and heat setting time. Optical and mechanical properties as well as dimensional stability of the resulting polymer films are governed by their crystallinity and crystalline morphology. Crystallization behavior and kinetics of PLA, therefore, were investigated using wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques. Mechanical properties and the dimensional stability of the biaxial oriented PLA films were obtained and correlated with their processing conditions. Poly(lactic acid) films prepared by melt extrusion methods have great potential for food packaging, shrink labeling and protective film applications. However, shrinkage at elevated processing temperature should be minimized to avoid puckering of the polymer film. Shrinkage of less than 2% was achieved for a BOPLA film stretched 300% in both directions at 75 °C and then annealed at 160 °C for 30 s. Fabrication, properties, and potential applications of a series of biodegradable films will be described.     

Incorporation of Metal-Based Nanoadditives into the PLA Matrix: Effect of Surface Properties on Antibacterial Activity and Mechanical Performance of PLA Nanoadditive Films

In this work, the modification process of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) with metal-based nanoparticle (NPs) additives (Ag, ZnO, TiO₂) at different loading (0.5, 1.0, and 2.5 wt%) and by melt-mix extrusion method followed by film formation as one of the advantageous techniques for industrial application have been investigated. PLA nanoparticle composite films (PLA-NPs) of PLA-Ag, PLA-ZnO, PLA-TiO₂ were fabricated, allowing convenient dispersion of NPs within the PLA matrix to further pursue the challenge of investigating the surface properties of PLA-NPs reinforced plastics (as films) for the final functional properties, such as antimicrobial activity and surface mechanical properties. The main objective was to clarify how the addition of NPs to the PLA during the melt extrusion process affects the chemistry, morphology, and wettability of the surface and its further influence on the antibacterial efficiency and mechanical properties of the PLA-NPs. Therefore, the effect of Ag, ZnO, and TiO₂ NPs incorporation on the morphology (SEM), elemental mapping analysis (SEM-EDX), roughness, surface free energy (SFE) of PLA-NPs measured by goniometry and calculated by OWRK (Owens, Wendt, Rabel, and Kaelble) model was evaluated and correlated with the final functional properties such as antimicrobial activity and surface mechanical properties. The developed PLA-metal-based nanocomposites, with improved mechanical and antimicrobial surface properties, could be used as sustainable and biodegradable materials, offering desirable multifunctionalities not only for food packaging but also for cosmetics and hygiene products, as well as for broader plastic products where antimicrobial activity is desirable.     

Surface modified graphene oxide/poly(vinyl alcohol) composite for enhanced hydrogen gas barrier film

A series of novel polyethyleneimine (PEI) modified graphene oxide (PEI-mGO) filled poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposite (PEI-mGO/PVA) films were prepared by solution-casing for hydrogen gas barrier applications. Hydrophilic PEI was used to simultaneously reduce and modify graphene oxide sheets, thereby facilitating a homogeneous dispersion of PEI-mGO in the PVA matrix. The effects of PEI-mGO on the morphology and properties of the nanocomposite films were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Analogous GO/PVA composites were also prepared and characterized for comparative purposes. The PEI-mGO/PVA nanocomposites showed higher thermal and mechanical stability as well as remarkable improvement in hydrogen gas barrier properties compared to the PVA film; specifically, the PEI-mGO/PVA film having 3.0 wt% of PEI-mGO content exhibited almost 95% decrease in GTR and permeability values compared to PVA film.     

Comparison of hydroxypropyl and carboxymethyl guar for the preparation of nanocellulose composite films

The gas barrier and mechanical properties are crucial parameters for packaging materials, and they are highly correlated to the molecular interactions in the polymer matrix. To improve these properties of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCNs) composite films, we studied the effect using hydroxypropyl guar (HPG) or carboxymethyl guar (CMG) in the preparation of TOCN composite films, which were made by following the solution-casting method. The subsequent film characterizations were carried out by UV–Vis spectra, scanning electron microscopy, oxygen and water vapor permeability measurements, tensile and thermogravimetric analyses. SEM results showed that CMG-based films had denser structures than their HPG counterparts. Moreover, the improved hydrogen bonding of the CMG-based films was partially responsible for the improved gas barrier performance, tensile strength and thermal stability. These results support the conclusion that CMG had advantages over HPG when used in the preparation of TOCNs packaging composite films.     

Influence of chemical surface modification of cellulose nanowhiskers on thermal,mechanical, and barrier properties of poly(lactide) based bionanocomposites

In the aim of producing fully organic bionanocomposite based on poly(lactide) (PLA), cellulose nanowhiskers (CNW) were grafted by n-octadecyl-isocyanate (CNW-ICN) applying an in situ surface grafting method. The compatibilizing effect of the long aliphatic grafted chain was investigated by thermal, mechanical and permeability analysis of solvent cast nanocomposite films. The grafted CNW-ICN could be successfully dispersed in the polymer matrix. The gained compatibility brought about a nucleating effect, decreasing the half time of isothermal crystallization from 25 min for the neat PLA to 8.4 min for the nanocomposite including 2.5 wt% CNW-ICN, e.g., tensile strength was improved by 10 MPa for the same 2.5 wt% CNW-ICN/PLA composite. Mechanical reinforcement was also effective in the rubbery state of PLA and increased the tensile modulus of the rubbery plateau providing thereby thermal resistance to the polymer. Oxygen barrier properties did not change significantly upon the inclusion of CNW-ICN, even when the quantity of CNW-ICN was increased to 15 wt%. More interestingly, the water vapour permeability of the CNW-ICN nanocomposite was always lower than the one of ungrafted CNW composites, which led to the conclusion that the hydrophobic surface graft and improved compatibility could counteract the effect of inclusion of hydrophilic structures in the matrix on water vapour transport. In conclusion, the surface grafting of CNW with isocyanates might be an easy and versatile tool for designing fully organic bionanocomposites with tailored properties.     

Effects of CNT‐film Pretreatment on the Characteristics of NiCo2O4/CNT Core‐shell Hybrids as Electrode Material for Electrochemistry Capacitor

NiCo₂O₄/CNT nanocomposite films were fabricated by in‐situ growing ultrafine NiCo₂O₄ nanoparticles on acid‐modified carbon nanotube (CNT) films. The effects of CNT‐film pretreatment were investigated thoroughly by various characterization outfits including Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, RTS‐9 four‐point probes resistivity measurement system, X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and CHI660D electrochemical workstation. These results suggested that carbon nanotubes were uniformly wrapped by NiCo₂O₄ nanoparticles forming a hierarchical core‐shell structure. And the crystallinity, conductivity of the CNTs and detail structure (both morphology and size) of the NiCo₂O₄ nanoparticles varied with prolonged acid treatment time which resulted in increased functional groups and defects on CNT films and further affected the electrochemical properties. The composite film composed of the CNT film pretreated by mixed acid for 12 h exhibited excellent electrochemical properties: 828 F/g at 1 A/g and 656 F/g at 20 A/g, and maintained over 99 % of its capacitance after 3000 cycles of charge/discharge at 5 A/g. Acid treatment for either too long or too short is detrimental to the electrochemical properties of the composite films. Such work should be of fundamental importance for tailoring electrochemical properties by elaborate design of acid treatment on CNTs.     

Mechanical,thermal and barrier properties of pectin/cellulose nanocrystal nanocomposite films and their effect on the storability of strawberries (Fragaria ananassa)

In this work, two formulations of pectin/cellulose nanocrystals/glycerol nanocomposites were employed as packaging to extend storage life of strawberries. The effects of incorporating cellulose nanocrystals extracted from bleached Kraft wood pulp on the mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties of pectin‐based nanocomposites were evaluated. Nanocomposite films with different filler levels of cellulose nanocrystals (1, 2, 4 and 8% w/w) were prepared by casting. Compared with the neat film of pectin, improvements in the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were observed, but these films became fragile. To improve the film flexibility, glycerol was added as a plasticizer and then new variations in the mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties of these nanocomposites were evaluated. The effects of nanocomposite films on storability of strawberries were compared with Poly vinyl chloride packaging films. The Poly vinyl chloride film and the nanocomposites showed similar behavior regarding weight loss by the strawberries, especially in the initial days of storage. The results show that pectin/cellulose nanocrystals/glycerol nanocomposites could be considered as a viable packaging alternative for replaced the Poly vinyl cloride film. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.