Fabrication of Polypropylene/Poly (Trimethylene Terephthalate) Blend Fibers with Highly Improved Resiliency and Preserved Mechanical Properties

The main aim of this study was to deal with one of the major drawbacks of polypropylene (PP) fibers, i.e. low resiliency, by incorporating poly (trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) nano-fibrils as a dispersed material into the PP polymer matrix. Thanks to the special helical shape of the PTT polymer backbone, the incorporated nano-fibrils of the PTT polymer strengthened the resiliency of the blend fibers. The presence of 10 and 15?wt% of PTT in the blend fibers led to an approximately 20% increase in the resilience behavior, compared to pure PP fibers, with the mechanical properties of the PP matrix preserved. The development of the fibrillar structures during the different steps of the melt spinning process was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the lowest mean diameter of the nano-fibrils was 64?nm for the hot drawn blend fiber samples consisting of 10?wt% of PTT. In summary, we suggest the optimized blend fiber samples produced in this research will be a promising candidate for a wide range of engineering applications.     

Reactive Compatibilization of Poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/Polypropylene Blends by Polypropylene‐graft‐Maleic Anhydride. Part 2. Crystallization Behavior

The crystallization behavior of uncompatibilized and reactive compatibilized poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/polypropylene (PTT/PP) blends was investigated. In both blends, PTT and PP crystallization rates were accelerated by the presence of each other, especially at low concentrations. When PP content in the uncompatibilized blends was increased to 50–60 wt%, PTT showed fractionated crystallization; a small PTT crystallization exotherm appeared at ～135°C besides the normal ～175°C exotherm. Above 70 wt% PP, PTT crystallization exotherms disappeared. In contrast, PP in the blends showed crystallization exotherms at 113–121°C for all compositions. When a maleic anhydride‐grafted PP (PP‐g‐MAH) was added as a reactive compatibilizer, the crystallization temperatures (T _c ) of PTT and PP shifted significantly to lower temperatures. The shift of PTT's T _c was larger than that of the PP, suggesting that addition of the PP‐g‐MAH had a larger effect on PTT's crystallization than on PP due to reaction between maleic anhydride and PTT.

The nonisothermal crystallization kinetics was analyzed by a modified Avrami equation. The results confirmed that PTT's and PP's crystallization was accelerated by the presence of each other and the effect varied with blend compositions. When the PP content increased from 0 to 60 wt%, PTT's Avrami exponent n decreased from 4.35 to 3.01; nucleation changed from a thermal to an athermal mode with three‐dimensional growths. In contrast, when the PTT content increased from 0 to 90 wt% in the blends, changes in PP's n values indicated that nucleation changed from a thermal (0–50 wt% PTT) to athermal (60–70 wt% PTT) mode, and then back to a thermal (80–90 wt% PTT) mode. When PP‐g‐MAH was added as a compatibilizer, the crystallization process shifted considerably to lower temperatures and it took a longer crystallization time to reach a given crystallinity compared to the uncompatibilized blends.     

Miscibility,Morphology, and Thermal Properties of Poly(Trimethylene Terephthalate)/Polycarbonate

Abstract

Poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/polycarbonate (PTT/PC) blends were prepared by melt blending and rapid quenching in ice water. The miscibility and thermal properties were investigated using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The blend's morphologies were investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscopies. Both DSC and DMA results suggested that PTT and PC were very limited, partially miscible pairs. The melting point, melt crystallization, and cold crystallization exotherms in the blends of PTT were depressed by the presence and amount of PC. When the PC content was <50 wt%, PC spherical particles were found to distribute evenly in the PTT matrix; at 50–60 wt%, the two‐phase structures were close to being bicontinuous. At higher PC content, PTT formed a string‐like texture in the PC matrix. The PTT spherulitic morphologies in PTT/PC blends were found to be very sensitive to PC and PC content. When the PC content was ≥60 wt%, the blends crystallized as an agglomeration of tiny PTT crystals.     

Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Poly(Trimethylene Terephthalate)/Maleic Anhydride Grafted Poly(Ethylene-octene)/Polypropylene Blends

A range of blends based on 70 wt% of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) PTT with 30 wt% dispersed phase were produced via melt blending. The dispersed phase composition was varied from pure maleic anhydride grafted poly(ethylene-octene) (POE-g-MA) over a range of POE-g-MA:polypropylene (PP) ratios. The micromorphology and mechanical properties of the ternary blends were investigated. The results indicated that the domains of the POE-g-MA are dispersed in the PTT matrix, and at the same time the POE-g-MA encapsulate the PP domains. The interfacial reaction between the hydroxyl-end group of PTT and maleic anhydride (MA) during melt blending changes the formation from “isolated formation” to “capsule formation,” where the PP domains are encapsulated by POE-g-MA. Compared to the PTT/POE-g-MA blends, mechanical properties of ternary blends, such as tensile strength and Young's modulus, were improved significantly.     

Polypropylene/clay nanocomposites prepared with masterbatches of polypropylene ionomer and organoclay

Polypropylene (PP) ionomers were obtained by the neutralization of maleic anhydride groups in a maleated PP of which maleic anhydride content was 1 wt%; these were studied as vehicle resins for the masterbatches of an organoclay for PP nanocomposites. PP/clay nanocomposites were prepared by melt mixing of PP with the masterbatches employing a twin screw extruder. Intercalation and/or exfoliation of the organoclay in the PP nanocomposites were observed. It was found that the PP nanocomposite prepared with the masterbatch of an organoclay and the PP ionomer obtained by 75% neutralization of maleic anhydride groups in the maleated PP showed the largest improvement in dispersion of organoclay. Very large increase of Young's modulus was observed in the nanocomposites with the PP ionomer obtained by 75% neutralization of maleic anhydride groups in the maleated PP. The improvements in the dispersion and mechanical properties were attributed to strong interactions between ionic groups of the PP ionomer and ionic surfactants of the organoclay.     

Effects of Montmorillonite on the Nonisothermal Crystallization Behavior of the Poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/Polypropylene/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites

Organic montmorillonite (MMT) reinforced poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT)/ polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending. The effects of MMT on the nonisothermal crystallization of the matrix polymers were investigated using differential scanning colorimetry (DSC) and analyzed by the Avrami equation. The DSC results indicated that the effects of MMT on the crystallization processes of the two polymers exhibited great disparity. The PTT's crystallization was accelerated significantly by MMT no matter whether PTT was the continuous phase or not, but the thermal nucleation mode and three-dimensional growth mechanism remained unchanged. However, in the presence of MMT, the PP's crystallization was slightly retarded with PP as the dispersed phase, and was influenced little with PTT as the dispersed phase. When the MMT content was increased from 2_wt% to 7_wt%, the crystallization of the PTT phase was slightly accelerated, whereas the crystallization of the PP phase was severely retarded, especially at lower temperatures. Moreover, the nucleation mechanism for the PP's crystallization changed from a thermal mode to an athermal one. In the polypropylene-graft-maleic anhydride (PP-g-MAH) compatibilized PTT/PP blends, with the addition of 2_wt% MMT during melt blending, the T _c (PTT) shifted 7.8°C to lower temperature and had a broadened exotherm, whereas the T _c (PP) shifted 17.1°C to higher temperature, with a narrowed exotherm. TEM analysis confirmed that part of the PP-g-MAH was combined with MMT during blending.     

Poly (Vinyl Alcohol)/Chitosan/Akermanite Nanofibrous Scaffolds Prepared by Electrospinning

Abstract

Electrospinning, as an effective method for preparation of scaffolds for cell growth templates, has attracted great attention. In this study electrospinning was used to prepare poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/chitosan scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. In order to improve the bioactivity and mechanical properties of the fibrous scaffolds, 0.5, 1 and 2?wt% akermanite, a calcium silicate based bioceramic, was added to the electrospinning solution. The morphology of the electrospun scaffolds was observed by using field emission-scanning electron microscopy and their mechanical strengths were analyzed by tension tests. The results showed that the formed scaffolds consisted of fibers with less than 100?nm diameter. In the case of the composite containing 1?wt% akermanite, the fibers were more homogeneous and no beads were formed during electrospinning, while in the composite containing 2?wt% akermanite a considerable number of beads were formed which we attribute to an improper viscosity of the electrospinning solution. Among the different compositions, the composite containing 1?wt% akermanite showed higher ultimate tensile strength (10.6?MPa) and fracture strain (9%). These values were increased by crosslinking the scaffold by reaction with glutaraldehyde, up to 13?MPa and 9.4%, respectively.     

Polypropylene/Poly (Trimethylene Terephthalate)–Blend Fibers

Polypropylene (PP)/polyester (PES)–blend fibers were prepared by extruder melt spinning. The polymer blend consisted of PP and a “master batch” (MB) based on polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), binary PTT/PET or PP/PTT blends, and also on a ternary PP/(PTT/PET) blend. The phase structure of PP/PES–blend fibers was examined. PES microfibers showed separation from the PP matrix in blend fibers. The impact of MB composition and rheological characteristics on phase structure parameters indicate a significant contribution of the PTT in the binary MB on the length of dispersed PES microfibers in the PP matrix. However, the blends of PP and ternary MB (PP/PTT/PET) have a lower diameter and length of the PES microfibers. The presence of PTT/PET (PES) enhances the structural and mechanical properties of the blend PP/PES fibers. In addition, PTT increases the tensile strength of the PP/PES–blend fibers if a binary MB is used, while the fiber nonuniformity is reduced in the presence of a ternary MB.     

Preparation and properties of transparent poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposite films

PMMA nanocomposites based on the synthetic smectite were prepared and characterized. The synthetic smectites, STN and SPN, were effectively hybridized in the PMMA matrix, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction patterns and by transmission electron microscopy, and optical and thermal properties were measured. The morphologies of PMMA nanocomposite films, containing 1–9 wt% with respect to synthetic smectite, were defined as exfoliated-immiscible and exfoliated-intercalated nanocompostites for CHT and CHP series, respectively. The optical properties, such as haze and UV transmittance, were maintained for organoclay loading of 9 wt% for CHP series. Thermal stability evaluated by TGA showed a small increase in the maximum decomposition temperature (T _d); however, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) dramatically decreased with the amount of organoclay content. The storage modulus and loss modulus increased with the weight fraction of organoclay.     

Investigation of Cell Structure and Expansion Ratio of Microcellular Polypropylene Nanohomocomposites Prepared by a Solid-State Process

Microcellular poly(propylene-ethylene) random copolymer (r-PP-PE)/nanoclay (nanocomposite) and r-PP-PE/nanoclay/polypropylene fibers (nanohomocomposite) were autoclave-foamed via a solid-state microcellular foaming process using supercritical N₂ as a foaming agent. Polypropylene grafted with maleic anhydride (PP-g-MA) was used as a compatibilizer. Amount of PP-g-MA to nanoclay was 3:1. This study investigated the effects of clay content and the presence of polypropylene fiber on the expansion ratio and cell morphology of the samples. The results indicated that nanoclay increased the expansion ratio of the samples, but the expansion ratio for nanohomocomposites was slightly lower than the nanocomposites. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation showed that the nanoclay decreased the cell size and increased the cell density, except for the nanocomposite with the highest nanoclay content, 3 wt%, which had larger cell size compared to the samples with 1.5 wt% nanoclay and less. On the other hand, the simultaneous presence of nanoclay and polypropylene fibers synergistically increased the cell nucleation effect; thus there was a dramatic increase in cell density. The Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed that the microcellular foaming process decreased the crystallinity of both types of samples.     

Reactive Compatibilization of Poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/Polypropylene Blends by Polypropylene‐graft‐Maleic Anhydride. Part 1. Rheology,Morphology, Melting,and Mechanical Properties

Poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/polypropylene (PTT/PP) blends were prepared by melt blending. The rheology, morphology, melting, and mechanical properties of PTT/PP blends were investigated with and without the addition of polypropylene‐graft‐maleic anhydride (PP‐g‐MAH). The melt viscosity results showed that the fluid behavior of PTT/PP blends exhibited great disparity to that of PTT but similar to that of PP; the dispersed flexible PP phase in the blends served as a “ball bearing effect” under shear stress, which made the fluid resistance markedly reduced; by contrast, the relatively rigid PTT dispersed phase made only a small contribution to the viscosity. With 5 wt.% PP‐g‐MAH addition during melt processing, both the shear viscosity and the non‐Newtonian index of 70/30 PTT/PP blend were increased over that of the corresponding uncompatibilized one, whereas the shear viscosity of the 30/70 PTT/PP melt decreased slightly indicating that a considerable amount of PP‐g‐MAH did not act as compatibilizer but probably served as plasticizer.

With the increasing of the other component, the melting temperature of the PTT phase showed a slight decrease while the melting temperature of the PP phase showed a slight increase. 5 wt.% PP‐g‐MAH addition had little influence on the melting temperatures of the two components. When PP≤20 wt.%, the cold crystallization temperature of the PTT phase (T_cc (PTT‐phase)) showed little change with the composition; however, it shifted to higher temperature when PP≥30 wt.%. The variations of the T_cc (PTT‐phase), with and without PP‐g‐MAH, suggested that, when PTT was a minor component, the excess PP‐g‐MAH which did not act as compatibilizer might serve as a plasticizer that made the PTT's cold crystallization process to be easier. The SEM results indicated that, for the uncompatibilized blends, the interfaces from particles pulling‐out are clear and smooth, while, for compatibilized blends, the reactive products are at the interfaces. The mechanical properties suggested that PP‐g‐MAH did not result in significant improvement of the toughness of the blend, but the tensile strength increased markedly.     

Crystallization Behavior of Poly(Trimethylene Terephthalate)/Polycarbonate Blends

The crystallization behavior of poly(trimethylene terephthalate (PTT) in compatibilized and uncompatibilized PTT/polycarbonate (PC) blends are investigated in the research reported in this paper. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results showed that the crystallization behaviors of PTT/PC blends were very sensitive to PC content. The onset (T_ci) and the peak (T_c) crystallization temperatures shifted to lower temperatures whereas the area of the exotherm decreased quickly as the PC content was increased. The Avrami exponent, n, decreased from 4.32 to 3.61 as the PC content was increased from 0 to 20 wt %, and the growth rate constant, Z _c , decreased gradually as well. This suggests that the nucleation mechanism exhibits the tendency of changing gradually from a thermal nucleation to an athermal mode although the growth mechanism still remains three‐dimensional. When epoxy (2.7 phr) was added as a compatibilizer during melt blending, the T_ci and T_c shifted slightly to higher temperature (≤2°C), and the crystallization enthalpy, however, exhibited an increased crystallinity with the exception of the 90/10/2.7 phr PTT/PC/Epoxy. This suggests that the epoxy make a positive contribution to the PTT crystallization. Moreover, the influences of epoxy on the crystallization behaviors of PTT/PC blends are related to the epoxy content. By contrast, the compatibilizer of ethylene‐propylene‐diene copolymer graft glycidyl methacrylate (EPDM‐g‐GMA, ≤6.3 phr) had little effect on the crystallization behavior of PTT/PC blends. For PTT/PC/Epoxy (2.7 phr) blends, the Avrami exponent, n, decreased to near 3, while the growth rate constant, Z _c , increased slightly as PC content was increased from 0 to 20 wt %. It is suggested that epoxy accelerated the process of the nucleation mechanism changing from thermal nucleation to an athermal mode. The EPDM‐g‐GMA had little effect on the nucleation mode and spherical growth mechanism. The PTT spherulite morphologies in PTT/PC blends were very sensitive to blend composition. Completely different morphologies were observed in pure PTT, PTT/PC, PTT/PC/Epoxy, and PTT/PC/EPDM‐g‐GMA blends.     

Morphological and Rheological Properties of Poly(Trimethylene Terephthalate)/Maleic Anhydride Grafted Poly (Ethylene-Octene)/Organoclay Ternary Nanocomposite

Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT)/poly(ethylene-octene) POE-g-MA/organoclay ternary nanocomposites were prepared using melt blending in order to simultaneously improve the toughness and stiffness of PTT. The phase morphology and dispersion of organoclay were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The melt rheological behavior of the ternary nanocomposites was determined by plate/plate rheological measurements. XRD and TEM analysis indicated that the ternary nanocomposites contained exfoliated nanoparticle when a small amount of organoclay (1 part per hundred) was added. The high aspect ratio of the organoclay platelets induced the average size of the dispersed domain to become smaller. Melt rheological studies revealed that the ternary nanocomposites exhibited strong shear thinning behavior and showed good processability.     

The Effect of Structure of the Clay Modifier on the Morphology and Properties of Polystyrene/Clay Nanocomposites Prepared via In Situ Suspension Polymerization

Polystyrene (PS)/organoclay nanocomposites were prepared via free radical suspension polymerization. Two kinds of organoclay were used, labeled KT and KD, modified by trimethyloctadecyl ammonium (TM) and dimethyldioctadecyl ammonium (DM) ions, respectively. Nanocomposites containing various amounts of both of the organoclay nanoparticles (1, 3, and 5 wt%) were prepared. The wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) results revealed intercalation in both of the nanocomposites. The greatest improvement in thermal stability of the nanocomposites was achieved with 5 wt% of organo-MMT for both of the clays. The nanocomposite containing 3 wt% of KT organo-MMT showed the greatest improvement of storage modulus. When the organoclay content exceeded 3 wt%, the storage moduli decreased compared to the nanocomposite filled with 3 wt% of the organoclay. D-spacing calculations using Bragg's law and WAXD data showed that the KT and KD nanoparticles were intercalated within the PS matrix, but with different extents of intercalation. The styrene conversions of the as-polymerized nanocomposite samples were obtained by a gravimetric method. The results showed that conversion decreased with incorporation of organoclay in the reaction recipe. Particle size was also increased by increasing nanoclay content.     

Ionic conductivity and interfacial resistance of electrospun poly(acrylonitrile)/poly(methyl methacrylate) fibrous membrane-based polymer electrolytes for lithium ion batteries

Electrospun poly(acrylonitrile) fibrous membrane (PAN-EFM) is prepared and enhanced by adding poly(methyl methacrylate)(PMMA) and subsequently minimizing the average diameter of the PAN/PMMA blend fibers. Electrospinning of the 50/50 wt% PAN/PMMA solution is carried out with the aim of the simultaneous presence of both polymers on the fiber surface. Their presence in exterior surface is confirmed using the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) technique next to the leaching of PMMA with acetone. The process parameters are optimized in four stable modes with the average diameter decreasing from 445 to 150 nm. Mechanical strength of the membrane is measured and reported. Comparing the sample electrochemical properties of the EFMs reveals that the addition of PMMA increases ionic conductivity from 1.02 to 3.31 mS cm^?1 and reduces interfacial resistance from ~1000 to ~400?Ω. It is also demonstrated that the ~300-nm reduction in average diameter of the blend fibers increases ionic conductivity from 3.31 to 5.81 mS cm^?1 and reduces interfacial resistance from ~400 to ~200?Ω.     

Effect of Compatibilizer Content on the Shear and Extensional Rheology of Polypropylene/Clay Nanocomposites

The shear and extensional rheology of polypropylene (PP)/organoclay nanocomposites in the presence of various maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (PP-g-MA) compatibilizer concentrations were investigated. The PP nanocomposites were prepared via direct melt intercalation in an internal mixer. The structures of the nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that both the compatibilized and uncompatibilized nanocomposites could form an intercalated structure. However, the organoclay particles can disperse well only in the compatibilized systems. The linear viscoelastic properties, including the storage modulus G′ and complex viscosity η* were very sensitive to the microstructure of the nanocomposites. The extensional viscosities of PP nanocomposites were enhanced under a low deformation rate with increasing compatibilizer content and displayed a lack of superposition for different strain rates. It was proposed that the lack of superposition might originate from the formation of a three-dimensional organoclay network, which decreased in its complexity and strength as the deformation rate increased.     

Upgrading poly(butylene succinate)/wood fiber composites by esterified lignin

Aliphatic chains were introduced into the macromolecule of kraft lignin using aliphatic chlorides as esterification reagents. The hydrophobicity of esterified lignin (EL) was enhanced as compared to the original lignin. EL was further used as a macromolecular coupling agent in poly(butylene succinate)/chemi-thermomechanical pulp fiber composites. As a result, the composites with enhanced mechanical performance were obtained, and the tensile strength, impact strength, and bending strength were increased by 25.1, 22.4, and 19.3%, respectively, under 2 wt% EL-treatment (synthesized by palmitoyl chloride, –COCl/–OH = 1.5:1) in comparison with those of the specimen without any coupling agent treatment. Furthermore, the composite prepared with EL-treated fibers shows significant lower water absorption ratio than that of untreated one. A significant increase in storage modulus (E′) was observed upon the incorporation of treated fibers. Furthermore, the improved interfacial bonding between treated fibers and matrix was verified by SEM images. The shear viscosity of composite was increased by the incorporation of EL, but in general, the rheological behaviors of composites are not significantly changed.     

Composites from Brazilian natural fibers with polypropylene: mechanical and thermal properties

Brazil has a well established ethanol production program based on sugarcane. Sugarcane bagasse and straw are the main by-products that may be used as reinforcement in natural fiber composites. Current work evaluated the influence of fiber insertion within a polypropylene (PP) matrix by tensile, TGA and DSC measurements. Thus, the mechanical properties, weight loss, degradation, melting and crystallization temperatures, heat of melting and crystallization and percentage of crystallinity were attained. Fiber insertion in the matrix improved the tensile modulus and changed the thermal stability of composites (intermediary between neat fibers and PP). The incorporation of natural fibers in PP promoted also apparent T _c and ΔH _c increases. As a conclusion, the fibers added to polypropylene increased the nucleating ability, accelerating the crystallization process, improving the mechanical properties and consequently the fiber/matrix interaction.     

Isothermal Melt Crystallization Kinetics for Poly(Trimethylene Terephthalate)/Poly(Butylene Terephthalate) Blends

The kinetics of isothermal melt crystallization of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT)/poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) blends were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) over the crystallization temperature range of 184–192°C. Analysis of the data was carried out based on the Avrami equation. The values of the exponent found for all samples were between 2.0 and 3.0. The results indicated that the crystallization process tends to be two‐dimensional growth, which was consistent with the result of polarizing light microscopy (PLM). The activation energies were also determined by the Arrhenius equation for isothermal crystallization. The values of ΔE of PTT/PBT blends were greater than those for PTT and PBT. Lastly, using values of transport parameters common to many polymers (U*=6280 J/mol, T _∞=T _g – 30), together with experimentally determined values of T _m ⁰ and T _g, the nucleation parameter, K _g, for PTT, PBT, and PTT/PBT blends was estimated based on the Lauritzen–Hoffman theory.     

Preparation and Properties of Antimicrobial Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)/TiO2 Nanocomposites Films

Abstract

Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) nanocomposite films with various contents of nano-titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and titanium dioxide doped silver (Ag-TiO₂) were prepared by a solvent casting method. The TiO₂ and Ag-TiO₂ nanoparticles were surface-modified with silane coupling agents to improve their compatibility and dispersibility in the PBAT matrix. They were denoted as mTiO₂ and mAg-TiO₂, and were characrterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The morphology of the PBAT nanocomposite films was studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The crystallinity of the PBAT film increased upon the introduction of the nano-TiO₂/Ag-TiO₂. Its mechanical properties and gas barrier properties were also significantly improved. In addition, the PBAT/mTiO₂ and PBAT/mAg-TiO₂ nanocomposite films showed a strong antibacterial activity against Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) food-borne pathogenic bacteria.