Polyurethane active films containing antioxidant additives for food packaging applications

ANBINDER, P.S.; PERUZZO, P.J.; PARDINI, O.R.; MARTINO, M.N.; AMALVY, J.I.

Rio de Janeiro

Congreso; World Polymer Congress ? MACRO 2006 - 41 International Symposium on Macromolecules.; 2006

Active packaging offers an advantage over traditional packaging: it interacts with food or the substances it wraps improving their sensory properties or safety and extending shelf life. Addition of an active compound to the polymeric matrix can induce micro and macroscopic changes in the film morphology. The applicability of the active film will depend on these changes, as well as on the action of the active compound. In this work, compounds of recognized antioxidant action (BHT and á-tocopherol) were used as active materials to be incorporated in a polyurethane matrix.Mechanical properties of the film such as permeability to the water vapor were studied. Oxidative stability of soybean oil in contact with active films was evaluated by FTIR spectroscopy. The obtained experimental results demonstrate that the antioxidant action of the active film is effective in delaying the oxidation process of the oily substrate. On the other hand, the incorporation of additives could be beneficial to the mechanical properties, the water vapor-barrier or the ultraviolet radiation-barrier.