Physical, Mechanical and Antibacterial Properties of Nanobiocomposite Films Bosed on Carboxymethyl Cellulose/Nanoclay

Hypothesis: In order to achieve safe and high-quality food products, the use of suitable packaging materials with excellent physical and chemical properties is a key requirement. Pollution resulting from packaging materials made of oil-based plastics and the problems associated with burning, disposal and recycling of these plastic products have attracted the attention of researchers to find appropriate solutions in recent years. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is one of the important polysaccharide polymers with capability of producing transparent films with relatively good mechanical and inhibition properties that have been used broadly in studies concerning the food stuff packaging.
Nanocomposite films have been prepared by solution casting method in the presence of clay nanoparticles. Pure and modified montmorillonite noanoparticles and Cloisite 30B along with silver and copper were used for improving the functional properties of carboxymethyl cellulose nanobiocomposite films.
Findings: It was observed that the clay nanoparticles incorporated into the nanocomposite films increased the UV absorption and mechanical properties and reduced the vapor permeability of the films. The XRD results showed that the silver was successfully inserted into the gallery space of the nanoclay, because the basal spacing of Ag-modified Cloisite 30B increased from 1.841 nm to 1.855 nm. Also, the compatibility of the nanoparticles with carboxymethyl cellulose was examined by SEM images. The SEM micrographs showed that the Cloisite 30B nanoparticles displayed better interface compatibility with CMC films than Na-montmorillonite. The results of antimicrobial tests showed that the nanobiocomposite film containing
4 wt% of Ag-modified Cloisite 30B exhibited maximum antimicrobial property against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria.