Synergistic Antimicrobial Activities of Limonene with Mineral Carriers in LDPE Films for Active Packaging Application

The integration of essential oils (EOs) into polymers to endow antimicrobial properties has received a lot attention. EOs are remarkable in that they have broad activity from natural source while also being volatile. Their volatility, on the other hand, makes high-temperature processing techniques difficult incorporate polymers. In this study, active films based low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and limonene oil (LEO) were prepared characterized. Before incorporation LEO LDPE, vacuum pulling method was used load five different mineral carriers. All Carrier-LEO complexes added LDPE using melt compounding. goal is analyze potential use these formulations achieve prolonged film packaging. halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), kaolinite (Kao), mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), zinc oxide (ZnONPs), molecular sieve type 4A (Z4A) as carriers for limonene. functional characterizations including mechanical, thermal, optical, barrier, well release behavior composite investigated. As expected, free molecules acted plasticizer matrix. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed 20-25% initial content retained against thermal degradation compounding making steps its efficiently delayed. A decrease optical oxygen barrier properties, elastic modulus tensile strength, obtained all developed compared with neat LDPE. Significant antibacterial activities observed Escherichia coli DH5-Alpha (E. coli) model gram-negative bacterial species. Moreover, results short-term long-term studies indicated both HNTs MSNs due their strong synergistic interactions exhibited sustained profiles films. Thus, new polymer composites present promising features controlling microbial contamination, rendering them excellent candidates packaging applications.