Recently emerging trends in polymer nanocomposites packaging materials

As a result of excellent nanoparticle dispersion tendencies, polymer based nanocomposites exhibit a significantly enhanced packaging characteristics. Moreover, the feasibility of inclusion of biologically-active additives has shown great potentials of rendering enhanced functional properties to the end product. Hence, polymer nanocomposites exhibiting bio-functional propensities have revealed a broad potential for application as packaging materials in the functional food packaging industry. This is due to accruable improvements in properties such as enhancements in strength and modulus, reduced gas permeability, and increment in resistance to water. Thus, the incumbent paper discusses state of the act recently emerging trends in the preparation and characterization of polymer nanocomposites as eco-benign and biodegradable packaging materials, inaddition to their future market prospects. [GRAPHICS]