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(EFE) – A group of scientists developed ecological packaging from crab shells and tree fibers to replace traditional plastic food packaging. The results are published in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering
. To produce this material, scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology (USA) badyzed the two most common natural biopolymers: cellulose and chitin. "The main point of reference with which we compare it is PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, one of the most common petroleum-based materials in transparent packaging seen in vending machines and beverage bottles gaseous, "said the main author. Carson Meredith.
According to the authors, the new material showed a 67 percent reduction in oxygen permeability on some forms of PET, which means that in theory, food could stay cooler during Longer. "Cellulose, which comes from plants, is the most common natural biopolymer on the planet, followed by chitin, found in seafood, insects, and fungi."
The team devised a method to create a film by placing nanofibers cellulose and chitin in water and spraying them on a surface of alternate layers.Only completely dry, the material is soft, strong, transparent and compostable.
Market Opportunity
"We have been looking for cellulose nanocrystals for several years and are exploring ways to improve those used. in food packaging, because of the great market opportunity for renewable packaging and its importance as the population continues to grow, "said Meredith.
The researchers recognized that with nanofibers of chitin being positively charged and that cellulose nanocrystals are negatively charged, they could work well as alternate layers in coatings, as they would form an effective interface between them. In this sense, Meredith explained that "it is difficult" for a gas molecule to penetrate into a solid crystal because it must break its structure.
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