Center of Innovation in Packaging (LABEN), Technology Faculty. CEDENNA (Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology), University of Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile.
Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2020 Jul;19(4):1760-1776. doi: 10.1111/1541-4337.12575. Epub 2020 May 31.
Nanotechnology is considered a highly valued technology to reduce the current environmental problem that is derived from plastic accumulation. The need to recycle and reuse packaging materials is essential to create a sustainable society towards a circular economy. However, the reprocessing of polymers leads to the deterioration of their characteristic mechanical, optical, thermal, and barrier properties due to the degradation of their polymeric chains. When recycled polymers are reinforced with nanoadditives, aforementioned properties improve and their use in the circular economy is more viable. In this review, different types of nanoadditives and recent advances in the development of recycled polymer nanocomposites reinforced with nanoadditives will be presented. In addition, there is a description of two research topics of current interest, recyclability of nanocomposites and safety for food packaging applications. Recyclability of nanocomposites requires a study that includes the nature of the polymer matrix, the type of polymer and the concentration of nanofiller, the morphology, the presence of additives, and the conditions of the thermal-mechanical cycles. Finally, safety section is dedicated to clarify the migration process in nanoreinforced-recycled polymers in order to assess their safety for food contact applications.
纳米技术被认为是一种极具价值的技术，可以减少当前源自塑料积累的环境问题。回收和再利用包装材料的需求对于创建一个可持续的社会走向循环经济至关重要。然而，聚合物的再加工会导致其聚合链降解，从而恶化其机械、光学、热和阻隔特性。当回收聚合物中加入纳米添加剂时，上述性能会得到改善，它们在循环经济中的应用也更加可行。在这篇综述中，将介绍不同类型的纳米添加剂以及最近在开发用纳米添加剂增强的回收聚合物纳米复合材料方面的进展。此外，还描述了当前两个研究课题，即纳米复合材料的可回收性和用于食品包装应用的安全性。纳米复合材料的可回收性需要进行包括聚合物基体的性质、聚合物和纳米填料的浓度、形态、添加剂的存在以及热机械循环条件等方面的研究。最后，安全部分专门用于阐明纳米增强回收聚合物中的迁移过程，以评估它们在食品接触应用中的安全性。
