Polymer clay nanocomposites for food packaging

MARIO D. NINAGO; GIAROLI, MARÍA CAROLINA; GABRIELA M. PASSARETTI; MARCELO A. VILLAR; LÓPEZ, OLIVIA V.

Nanostructured Materials for Food Packaging Applications

Elsevier

Año: 2024; p. 189 - 213

Polymer nanocomposites notably enhance packaging material properties, mainly due to the filler nanometric size that enables a good dispersion within the matrix. In particular, nanoclays embedded within thermoplastic polymers improve the most attractive properties of food packaging, such as barrier, thermo-mechanical, and optical properties. There are numerous studies on synthetic polymers and nanoclays that have extremely valuable properties for the development of food packaging. On the other hand, the growing awareness of consumers and industrial sectors about the environment in the use of more ecological materials have promoted the study of biopolymeric-based nanocomposites. In this chapter, an overview of nanocomposites based on synthetic and natural biopolymers containing nanoclay fillers to be used for food packaging is presented, focusing on structural, thermo-mechanical, barrier, and optical properties. Besides, future perspectives of the use of these nanocomposite materials in the food packaging industry are projected based on their diverse functionality and great potentiality.