Guargum/nanocellulose based novel crosslinked antimicrobial film with enhanced barrier and mechanical properties for food packaging

Abstract

The research towards the achievement of better thermo-mechanical and barrier properties of the polymer blends comprising of guar gum (GG), nanocellulose (NC), polyethylene glycol (PG) and a cross linker i.e. glutaraldehyde (GA) has been discussed. The polymer with the optimal composition i.e., GG (0.8%), NC (0.55%), GA (0.3%) and PG (150 µL) has achieved maximum tensile strength of 41.25 MPa and minimal water vapor permeability of 2.64 × 10−8 g m−1 h−1 Pa−1. The shift of water contact angle from 56° to 104.05° after crosslinking confirms the hydrophobic nature of the film. The moisture uptake capacity of crosslinked film dropped significantly from 11.36% to 3.82%. The FTIR spectra and TGA analysis establish the fact of successful cross linkage and better thermal properties of the composite film, respectively. Soil burial of all the films exhibited more than 85% degradability within 45 days. Further, the crosslinked composite film has exhibited efficient antibacterial activity against gram positive (S. aureus and B. subtilis) and gram negative (E. coli) bacteria. The composite film has been developed as the superior choice of packaging material for enhanced shelf life of food products.