Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/Clay/Essential Oils Bionanocomposites Incorporating Biochar: Thermo-Mechanical and...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science
• Food Science

Background:

• Biodegradable polymers are limited by properties and cost for food packaging.
• Bionanocomposites offer a potential solution to improve biodegradable material performance.
• Reducing food loss and waste is a key sustainability goal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a novel polyhydroxybutyrate-based bionanocomposite.
• To incorporate antioxidant and antimicrobial properties using biochar, clay, and essential oils.
• To evaluate the potential of this bionanocomposite for active food packaging applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of polyhydroxybutyrate/biochar/clay/essential oil bionanocomposites.
• Morphological analysis using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD).
• Evaluation of physicochemical, thermal, mechanical, and antioxidant properties (DPPH, ABTS assays).

Main Results:

• Bionanocomposites exhibited a porous surface morphology due to biochar.
• XRD confirmed an intercalated-exfoliated structure.
• Minor improvements in thermal properties, with a decrease in melting temperature by up to 11%.
• Increased hydrophobicity and elastic modulus compared to pure polyhydroxybutyrate.
• Significant antioxidant activity against DPPH and ABTS radicals.

Conclusions:

• The developed bionanocomposites possess desirable antioxidant properties.
• The materials show potential for use in active food packaging.
• This approach addresses limitations of traditional biodegradable polymers.