Abstract
This work aimed to evaluate the effect of incorporating different concentrations of montmorillonite in low-density polyethylene films. The incorporation Cloisite® 10A nanocomposite in the films was carried out using a single screw extruder modular. After the incorporation of six concentrations of organophilic montmorillonite clay (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0%, w/w) to the films, their optical, mechanical (tensile strength, elongation and Young modulus), and gas barrier (CO2) properties were investigated. The degree of exfoliation was evaluated through the analysis of X-ray diffraction. The incorporation of nanoparticles from montmorillonite increased the opacity of the films. Regarding their mechanical properties, the incorporated films with montmorillonite presented reductions in tensile strength and elongation values, whereas the modulus of elasticity did not show any significant difference. They also showed an increase in the permeability of CO2. The analysis of X-ray diffraction showed no formation of nanocomposites. It was observed, therefore, that the properties of the films were affected by the incorporation of montmorillonite clay.
Highlights
Since the nineteenth century the increased demand for higher quality and safety of food packaging by consumers has resulted in industry changes in this sector
For the development of films incorporated with clay for use in food products, it was used a low-density polyethylene resin (LDPE) polymer matrix, from Braskem, Brazil
The opacity of the films ranged from 11.86 to 12.82, with the minimum value recorded in the control and the maximum opacity in the 3% MMT films. The latter presented a significant increase of 8.09% in opacity, showing that an increase in the concentration of nanocomposite results in less transparent films (Figure 1)
Summary
Since the nineteenth century the increased demand for higher quality and safety of food packaging by consumers has resulted in industry changes in this sector This has resulted in an increase in the use of polymers due to their advantages when compared to traditional materials, as well as the development of polymers incorporated with nanoparticles (Silvestre et al, 2011). Studies reveal that this incorporation usually presents a weak interaction between the interfaces of the component (Luduena et al, 2007) These interactions can be achieved by the organofilization of the compounds in order to ensure better compatibility between the polymeric matrix and clays (Baruel et al, 2018; Paiva et al, 2008)
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