Development of Breathable Pebax®/PEG Films for Optimization of the Shelf-Life of Fresh Agri-Food Products.

Thibaut Préfol,Olivier Gain,Eliane Espuche,Fabrice Gouanvé,Guillaume Sudre

doi:10.3390/membranes11090692

Abstract

In this work, thin transparent breathable films were prepared for food packaging applications. The films were obtained by the solvent casting method from both the binary blends Pebax® MH1657 copolymer/ hydroxyl-terminated polyethylene glycol (PEGOH) and Pebax® MH1657/polyethylene glycol dimethyl ether (PEGDME) as well as the ternary blend Pebax® MH1657/PEGOH/PEGDME with a 50/50 and 37.5/62.5 PEGOH/PEGDME weight ratio for additive amounts comprised between 0 and 50 wt.%. The microstructure of these materials was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) analyses. Regardless of the PEG’s nature, for a PEG amount inferior to 30 wt.%, the Pebax® and PEG phases were totally miscible. For higher amounts, a phase separation was obtained. In the presence of PEG, a decrease in crystallinity was obtained. The effects of the nature and amount of PEG on the thermo-mechanical, hydration, and gas (CO2, O2) transport properties were investigated. A study of the film’s stability in terms of composition over time was also performed. From this work, a wide range of films could be proposed with a stable composition over time and adjustable mechanical and gas transport properties for the prolongation of the shelf-life of highly breathable fresh products.

Highlights

Globalization, development, and the improvement of the living standards within industrialized countries have changed the food diet of our societies over the past few decades
Thermal properties of the films composed of binary Pebax®/PEGOH and Pebax®/polyethylene glycol dimethyl ether (PEGDME) as well as ternary Pebax®/PEGOH/PEGDME blends were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis with the aim of obtaining information about the miscibility of the PEG additives with the Pebax® matrix
The obtained DSC data for the neat Pebax® and the PEG additives were in good agreement with those reported in the literature [17,23,24,30]

Summary

Introduction

Globalization, development, and the improvement of the living standards within industrialized countries have changed the food diet of our societies over the past few decades. The food we consume increasingly travels the world before it reaches our plates. Some fresh products, such as fruits and vegetables, are perishable and generally have a short shelf-life [1]. The deterioration of these fresh products starts from the moment when they are separated from the mother plant [1]. Their preservation still constitutes one of the most important challenges

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Conclusion