Hydrophobicity, UV resistance, and antioxidant properties of carnauba wax-reinforced CG bio-polymer film

Abstract With the depletion of energy and the increasing awareness of environmental protection, bio-polymer films will become a possible alternative to plastic packaging in the future. However, further improvement is needed in the mechanical, waterproof, anti-ultraviolet (UV), and antioxidant properties of bio-polymer films. In this work, a novel bio-polymer film consisting of gelatin, chitosan, and carnauba wax was developed by crosslinking reactions and exhibited excellent performance with appropriate mechanical strength (tensile strength 10 MPa, breaking elongation 38%), excellent water resistance properties (the contact angle reached 124°), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging ability (69.1%) and can completely block UV rays. Consequently, carnauba wax/chitosan/gelatin film, as a new type of versatile film with excellent performance, will broaden the application of biobased polymer films in the packaging field.