Study on Characterizations and Applicability of PBAT/PLA-ZnO Composite Film for Antimicrobial Food Packaging

In this study, poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)(PBAT) and poly(lactic acid)(PLA) were compounded with zinc oxide nanoparticles(ZnONPs) to evaluate their potential in antimicrobial food packaging application. PBAT, PBAT/ PLA, PBAT/PLA-ZnO 0.5%, and PBAT/PLA-ZnO 2.0% composite films have prepared via blown extrusion and characterized for physicochemical, oxygen barrier and antimicrobial properties. SEM results revealed smoother surface resulting from decreasing PLA agglomerates with addition of ZnO. PBAT/PLA film has lower strength and flexibility than those of PBAT because of dissimilarity of chemical affinity. In contrast, PBAT/PLA-ZnO composite films showed the same flexibility as PBAT and highly enhanced oxygen barrier property due to the better compatibility between PBAT and PLA and the inclusion of ZnO inside leading to interfere gas diffusion. PBAT/PLA-ZnO composite films exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity against E. coli with over 99.9% of reduction. In addition, as a result of storage test using bread, ZnO-containing PBAT/PLA composite films are very effective in securing food quality by preventing microbiological contamination.