Influence of Quaternary Ammonium Salt Functionalized Chitosan Additive as Sustainable Filler for High-Density Polyethylene Composites

In this study, an antimicrobial packaging material was successfully developed with blends of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and chitosan (CS) made by melt processing. In the different HDPE/CS composites, the CS content effect (up to 40%), and the addition of quaternary ammonium salt functionalized chitosan (CS-CTAB) as an additive were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analyses (TG), tensile strength, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and antimicrobial activity. When analyzing the effect of the additive in the different HDPE/CS composites, it was observed that the compositions with 10 and 20 %wt of chitosan showed better elongation values (similar to 13% and 10%) as well as a higher decomposition temperature at 20% mass loss (T20) varying from (321-332 degrees C and 302-312 degrees C), respectively, in relation to the other compositions, regardless of the type of additive used, it acted as an antimicrobial agent, promoting inhibition of microbial growth against the strains gram-positive and gram-negative used in this work, making the different HDPE/CS composites suitable candidates for use in food packaging.

Automated summary

In this study, an antimicrobial packaging material was successfully developed by melt processing blends of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and chitosan (CS). The effect of chitosan content (up to 40%) and the addition of quaternary ammonium salt functionalized chitosan (CS-CTAB) as an additive were evaluated. The results showed that HDPE/CS composites with 10% and 20% chitosan exhibited better elongation values and higher thermal stability, and the additive acted as an antimicrobial agent, making the composites suitable for food packaging.