Development of extrusion blown films of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) blends for flexible packaging |
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Authors: | Benjamin Le Delliou Olivier Vitrac Anir Benihya Alain Guinault Sandra Domenek |
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Affiliation: | 1. UMR SayFood, Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Palaiseau, France;2. UMR SayFood, Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Palaiseau, France
Contribution: Data curation (supporting), Investigation (supporting), Methodology (equal), Writing - review & editing (supporting);3. Laboratoire PIMM, Arts et Metiers Instiute of Technology, CNRS, Cnam, Hesam Université, Paris Cedex, France |
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Abstract: | Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) is a biodegradable polymer with significant potential for use in food packaging. However, its limited melt strength poses a challenge when employing film-blowing techniques to produce flexible packaging. To overcome this obstacle, we developed blends consisting of 70 wt% PHBV and 30 wt% poly(butylene-co-succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA). Organic peroxides such as dicumyl peroxide and 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di-(tert-butylperoxy)hexane, were utilized as reactive compatibilizers to enhance the interfacial adhesion between the polymers. Additionally, acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) was employed as a plasticizer to improve processability and ductility. The inclusion of organic peroxides resulted in the formation of long-branched structures, as confirmed by the van-Gurp-Palmen plot. The melt flow index decreased from 30 to 9.8 g/10 min without ATBC and 15.5 g/10 min with ATBC. Successful production of blown PHBV/PBSA films was achieved on a pilot scale (bubble height 180 cm). These films exhibited heat-sealing capability and increased impact strength (7.7 kJ/m2). Moreover, the films maintained a maximum elongation at break of 4% during a 3-month storage experiment with frozen food. Food safety was assessed through overall migration experiments, and the non-plasticized films received approval. In conclusion, the compatibilized PHBV/PBSA blends demonstrate great potential as materials for manufacturing film-blown flexible packaging. |
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Keywords: | biobased polymers biodegradable polymers compatibilizer film blowing food packaging mechanical stability polymer processing |
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