Abstract
Carrageenans obtained from seaweeds can be processed into films for a range of applications including food packaging. The level of carrageenan refinement during extraction can influence the key properties, with semi-refined carrageenan (SRC) containing more impurities than the more refined carrageenan (RC). Further refinement steps, however, result in higher costs associated with the production of RC. In order to obtain a lower cost and more ecofriendly, bio-based material for food packaging applications, SRC was used in this investigation to produce a thin film reinforced with nanocellulose fibrils (NCF). Films derived from RC containing NCF were also investigated with water sensitivity and physico-mechanical and thermal properties among the properties tested. Levels of NCF were varied from 1% to 7% (w/w), and in general, the NCF reinforcement improved the overall properties of both the SRC and RC films, including the water sensitivity and moisture barrier. However, NCF inclusion in SRC film was less effective with regard to the mechanical and thermal properties compared with NCF inclusion in RC film. The enhancement in properties was attributed to the greater cohesiveness of the reinforced polymer structure and the crystalline regions formed in the structures of SRC and RC films by NCF incorporation.
Highlights
The development of polymers from seaweed-derived biomass has gained considerable interest over recent decades
The addition of 1% to 7% (w/w) of nanocellulose fibrils (NCF) to the semi-refined carrageenan (SRC) and refined carrageenan (RC) films did not significantly affect the resulting film thicknesses with the exception perhaps of the SRC film containing 7% (w/w) of NCF, which appears to be slightly thinner than the others in its series
It is expected that the range of loadings of NCF used and/or its dimensions and compatibility in relation to the polymer matrix are such that the additive will not affect the thickness of the resultant films prepared under
Summary
The development of polymers from seaweed-derived biomass has gained considerable interest over recent decades. Among the seaweed-derived polymers, carrageenan is one of the major polysaccharides that is extracted from red seaweed species and this polymer has been used for some time in a range of food applications [2]. Processing of the seaweed involves alkali treatment to extract the carrageenan, and at this stage the product is known as semi-refined carrageenan (SRC). Further treatments such as filtration and purification processes can be applied to remove the residual substances such as cellulosic materials, forming a refined carrageenan (RC) [10]. Refined carrageenans are widely used in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries, whereas SRCs are mainly used in other applications, such as food packaging, that do not require a high level of refinement [12]
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