Promising strategies and new opportunities for high barrier polymer packaging films

The past decades have witnessed the rapidly growing interest in polymer films as the most com-monly used packaging material due to their lightweight, versatility, low cost, and ease of manufacturing. However, there is a noticeable mismatch between the demanding requirements of various oxygen-or humidity-sensitive commodities and the poor barrier properties of single-component polymer films, thus giving rise to food spoilage, drug failure, as well as corrosion damage of electronic devices. In this review, we provide an in-depth introduction on the most promising strategies for developing high barrier poly-mer packaging films, including surface coating, polymer blending, and polymer nanocomposites. Specifi-cally, the types of surface coatings, the dispersed phase morphology in polymer blends, the main factors for polymer nanocomposites containing large-aspect-ratio nanoplatelets, their dispersion morphology, the interfacial structure, and the crystalline structure of the matrix polymers can be tailored to maximize the gas barrier performance. Also, current challenges and perspectives for future development of high barrier polymer packaging materials are proposed. The new insight into the relationship between polymer pro-cessing, microscopic architecture, and barrier properties of polymer materials are expected to provide a valuable guide for developing high-barrier polymer packaging materials.& COPY; 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The growing interest in polymer films as packaging material is attributed to their lightweight, versatility, low cost, and ease of manufacturing. However, the poor barrier properties of single-component polymer films pose challenges for oxygen- or humidity-sensitive commodities, leading to spoilage, drug failure, and corrosion damage. This review discusses promising strategies such as surface coating, polymer blending, and polymer nanocomposites for developing high barrier polymer packaging films. It also highlights the importance of tailoring surface coatings, dispersed phase morphology, interfacial structure, and crystalline structure to maximize gas barrier performance.