Improved mechanical and antibacterial properties of active LDPE films prepared with combination of Ag, ZnO and CuO nanoparticles

Publication date: December 2019Source: Food Packaging and Shelf Life, Volume 22Author(s): Samira Dehghani, Seyed Hadi Peighambardoust, Seyed Jamaleddin Peighambardoust, Seyed Vali Hosseini, Joe M. RegensteinAbstractThis work dealt with antibacterial nanoparticles of silver (Ag), copper oxide (CuO), and zinc oxide (ZnO) and incorporated their combination at a reduced concentration to low-density polyethylene (LDPE) to prepare active packaging films. SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and SEM-energy dispersive X-ray (EDAX) observations showed a relatively homogenous distribution of nanoparticles on the fracture surfaces of the nanocomposites. Iincorporating a combination of nano-metals up to 1% (w/w) improved tensile strength and elongation at break properties of the films. Films containing ZnO nanoparticles reduced UV transmission, which could improve the resistance to adverse effects of UV. Antibacterial activity of the nanocomposite films against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were observed. Furthermore, using a combination of nanoparticles increased the antibacterial activity without the need to increase the concentration of nanoparticles, which could minimize any negative effects on the physical properties of the resulting films.
Source: Food Packaging and Shelf Life - Category: Food Science Source Type: research