Potential effect of citrate nanocellulose on barrier, sorption, thermal and mechanical properties of chitosan/Arabic gum packaging film

Abstract

Currently, the necessity to diminish environmental pollution caused by petroleum-based packaging plastics has encouraged interest in creating renewable and biodegradable packaging polymers. The objective of this study is the development of a green nanocomposite constructed from citrate cellulose nanospheres (CNC) that have been embedded in (CH/AG) Chitosan/Arabic gum (CNC@CH/AG) to meet the mechanical requirements. Citrate CNC was prepared using a citric acid/HCl acid mixture and it is investigated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Zeta potential, and degree of substitution. CNC@CH/AG film was investigated by FTIR, XRD, scanning electron microscope (SEM), wettability, mechanical, barrier, water vapor sorption, and thermal characteristics. CNC@CH/AG film displayed declining in water vapor permeability. The lowest water vapor permeability (WVP) value was 0.044 ± 23 × 10−3 g. mm. kPa−1. h−1. m−2 compared with control (CH/AG) was 0.129 ± 81 × 10−3 up to 3 mg CNC. For sorption properties, the CNC@CH/AG nanocomposite films are consistent with the GAB model, Smith, Henderson, and Peleg models. In comparison to CH/AG, the addition of CNC enhances all of the nanocomposites' tensile strength and Young's modulus by nearly two and three times, respectively, with a decrease in elongation percentage. The addition of CNC renders CNC@CH/AG nanocomposite films more thermally stable and the total activation energy of CNC@CH/AG nanocomposite film (−94.97 J/mol) is more than three times that CH/AG film (−34.04 J/mole).