Effect of TiO2 nanoparticles on the antibacterial and physical properties of polyethylene-based film

TiO₂ nanoparticles and their application in packaging systems have attracted a lot of attention because of its antimicrobial activity. In this work, effect of TiO₂ nanoparticles on the antibacterial and physical properties of polyethylene (PE)-based film was investigated. Results indicated that the antibacterial activity of TiO₂-incorporated PE films should be due to the killing effect property of TiO₂ nanoparticles against microorganisms. The TiO₂-incorporated PE film exhibited more effective antibacterial activity for Staphylococcus aureus. The antibacterial activity to inactivate Escherichia coli or S. aureus was improved by UV irradiation. The inhibition ratio of TiO₂-incorporated PE films sample irradiated for 60 min by UV light was improved significantly, which were 89.3% for E. coli and 95.2% for S. aureus, respectively, compared to that of TiO₂-PE film without UV irradiation. The analysis of physical properties revealed that TiO₂ nanoparticles increased the tensile strength and elongation at break of PE-based film. The climate resistance of nano-TiO₂ films is greatly enhanced, compared to that of the blank PE film. Water vapor transmission increased from 18.1 to 24.6 g/m²·24 h with the incorporation of TiO₂ nanoparticles. Results revealed that PE based film incorporating with TiO₂ nanoparticles have a good potential to be used as active food packaging system.