Plasticized hemicelluloses/chitosan-based edible films reinforced by cellulose nanofiber with enhanced mechanical properties

Abstract

In this work, the properties of the plasticized hemicelluloses/chitosan-based edible films reinforced by cellulose nanofiber (CNF) have been evaluated. Results showed that the tensile strength (TS) of the film increased by 2.3 times with adding 5% CNF. As compared with unplasticized film, the films containing 10–40% plasticizers (glycerol, xylitol, sorbitol) showed slightly higher water vapor permeability, oxygen permeability, transparency, solubility, and lower contact angle. Among the three types of plasticized films, glycerol-plasticized films exhibited the highest tensile strain at break (TB, 7.80–18.53%), while the sorbitol-plasticized films exhibited the highest TS (23.14–48.96 MPa). However, there were no substantial differences in the three types of plasticized films except TS and TB. Overall, the films containing 20–30% glycerol with high TS (31.02–38.56 MPa) and TB (10.07–15.98%) were suitable for food-packaging applications where high mechanical strength and flexibility are required.