Project Objective

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This project intends to develop high gas and vapour barrier nanocomposite materials in the form of blends and multilayers, made of biopolyesters (polylactide and polyhydroxyalcanoates) and renewable fillers such as bacterial cellulose nanowhiskers and keratine and nanokeratine, obtained making use of by-products. Additionally, the project intends to incorporate active antimicrobial additives and nanoadditives such as metals supported on nanoclays and furanone to the biopolyesters and their nanocomposites to study its biocide, antibiofilm and virucide properties. The nanocomposite materials will make preferential use of electrospinning and nanosprydrying techniques to help disperse the various nanofillers and control release the active elements in the various matrices and to produce high barrier interlayers. Additionally, the project intends to characterize the morphology, barrier, mechanical and thermal properties and control release of the materials and structures developed and to address the relationship between structure, processing and properties. From an applied view-point, the aim is to develop fully renewable high barrier thermoformed trays based on polyhydroxyalcanoates (PHA’s) and lid films based on polylactide (PLA) to derive fully renewable improved packaging elements making use of by-products of interest in food packaging applications.