Influence of ZnO nanoparticles on the properties of biodegradable PBAT matrix for food packaging application

Abstract

Currently, the use of biodegradable polymers for packaging application has been an imperative topic due to the environmental damage caused by non-biodegradable materials. In the present study, PBAT/ZnO biodegradable nanocomposites were prepared by melt processing and characterized by FEG-SEM, DSC, XRD, TDNMR and water activity analysis. The main results showed an increase in the Tc values for all produced formulations, indicating a change in the crystalline profile of the PBAT, which was corroborated by XRD results. FEG-SEM showed that the systems containing up to 1 wt.% of ZnO showed better nanoparticles dispersion, while formulations containing 3 and 5 wt.% of ZnO presented large aggregates. TDNMR provided a more detailed assessment, showing that PBAT/ZnO systems containing 0.5 and 5 wt.% of ZnO presented a higher heterogeneity at molecular level. Finally, water activity analysis showed that ZnO addition promoted an increment in the biosafety levels compared to neat PBAT, making the PBAT/ZnO nanocomposites more promising for food packaging application.