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Antimicrobial PLA-Based Composite Gels with Improved Functional Properties for Food Packaging.

Ioan Sarosi1, Gertrud Alexandra Paltinean2, Andrei Moldovan1

  • 1Department Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Development Entrepreneurship, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400641 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

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Summary

Biodegradable PLA films with grape pomace or nanofillers like GO-Ag, GO-TiO2, and GO show improved mechanical strength, thermal stability, and antimicrobial activity. These enhanced properties make them promising for sustainable food packaging solutions.

Keywords:
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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Polymer Science
  • Food Science

Background:

  • Biodegradable polymers like polylactic acid (PLA) are sought for sustainable food packaging.
  • Incorporating antimicrobial functionalities enhances packaging performance and reduces waste.
  • Developing multifunctional PLA composites requires careful selection of active agents and fillers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and evaluate multifunctional PLA-based composite films with enhanced properties for food packaging.
  • To investigate the impact of different functional fillers (grape pomace, GO-Ag, GO-TiO2, GO) on PLA film characteristics.
  • To assess the structural, mechanical, thermal, and antimicrobial performance of the developed PLA composites.

Main Methods:

  • Five PLA formulations were prepared: a reference blend and four composites with 0.5 wt.% functional fillers.
  • Characterization included antimicrobial activity assays, Vickers hardness testing, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC).
  • Statistical analysis (p < 0.05) was used to determine significant differences in mechanical properties.

Main Results:

  • Vickers hardness significantly increased with filler incorporation, indicating enhanced stiffness and load transfer.
  • PLA composites with silver-graphene oxide (GO-Ag) and titanium dioxide-graphene oxide (GO-TiO2) exhibited improved thermal stability, with transitions shifted to higher temperatures.
  • PLA composites containing grape pomace (PLA-GP), GO-Ag, GO-TiO2, and GO demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity, with PLA-GA, PLA-GT, and PLA-GO showing the greatest efficacy.

Conclusions:

  • Bioactive and nanostructured fillers effectively enhance the mechanical, thermal, and antimicrobial properties of PLA.
  • These multifunctional PLA composites show significant potential for developing sustainable and functional food packaging.
  • The study highlights the feasibility of tailoring PLA properties through the incorporation of specific functional fillers for advanced packaging applications.