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"Wetting enhancer" pullulan coating for antifog packaging applications
Laura Introzzi1, José María Fuentes-Alventosa, Carlo A Cozzolino
1DeFENS, Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, Packaging Division, University of Milan , Via Celoria 2, I - 20133 Milan, Italy.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|July 5, 2012
Summary
A novel pullulan coating effectively prevents fogging on food packaging. This biopolymer coating enhances transparency and prevents water droplets, outperforming commercial alternatives for fresh food storage.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Science
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Fog formation on packaging reduces visibility and can negatively impact the perceived quality of fresh foods.
- Existing commercial antifog films have limitations in performance and application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a new antifog coating based on pullulan for food packaging applications.
- To assess the antifog properties of the pullulan coating by analyzing wettability, surface characteristics, and optical performance.
- To compare the efficacy of the pullulan coating against commercial antifog films under simulated food storage conditions.
Main Methods:
- Characterization of coating properties including wettability (water contact angle), surface chemistry (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), and surface morphology (atomic force microscopy).
- Quantitative assessment of optical properties (haze and transparency) before and after fogging.
- Antifog performance testing simulating fresh food storage conditions, comparing pullulan coating with commercial films and untreated low-density polyethylene (LDPE).
Main Results:
- The pullulan coating exhibited a low water contact angle (∼24°), indicating enhanced wettability due to its hydrophilic nature.
- Unlike untreated LDPE and commercial films, the pullulan coating prevented discrete water droplet formation, forming a uniform thin water layer.
- This uniform water layer resulted in unaltered haze and increased transparency, potentially acting as an antireflection layer.
- Atomic force microscopy confirmed even coating deposition, contrasting with the patchy distribution of additives in commercial films, contributing to superior performance.
Conclusions:
- Pullulan serves as an effective and superior antifog coating material for food packaging.
- The enhanced wettability and uniform water layer formation are key mechanisms behind the pullulan coating's antifog efficacy.
- The even deposition of pullulan offers advantages over commercial antifog films with patchy additive distribution.
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