Preparation of antibacterial and environmentally friendly nanocomposite films of Starch/Poly vinyl alcohol/ ZnO applicable for food packaging

The main task of food packaging is to maintain the quality and safety of food products. Consumers want to use packaging that does not increase pollution. For this reason, researchers have focused on producing sustainable, biodegradable, and edible materials that improve food quality. In this research, biodegradable films based on starch / polyvinyl alcohol / oxidized nanoparticles were prepared by the casting method. Starch and polyvinyl alcohol have been used as biodegradable polymer and a plasticizer, respectively. Initially, the starch was mixed with different percentages of polyvinyl alcohol as a plastic sizer to obtain a complete film without failure. To the optimum sample, different percentages of oxidized nanoparticles (ZnO) were added to the film to create antibacterial properties. The resulting films were then evaluated by mechanical tests, morphology, moisture content, swelling, etc. The amount of mechanical strength for films was in the range of 6-11.5 MPa and the tensile strength at the breaking point was 42- 53%. These films can be used in food packaging because they use environmentally friendly and non-toxic raw materials.

Keywords:

Food packaging , Poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) , Starch , Zinc oxide (ZnO)