Polymers and fillers used in the packaging industry

The materials used to package food should have some basic characteristics. These materials are effective in preserving food quality as well as food safety. Furthermore, they can protect against harmful elements such as chemical pollutants, spoilage bacteria, moisture, air, light, and external force. Because of their low cost, fast processibility, good quality, and great physiochemical qualities, petroleum-based plastic materials have commonly been employed since the mid-twentieth century in the food packaging sector. Biopolymers, on the other hand, are regarded as the perfect source of biodegradable packaging materials owing to environmental concerns. The introduction of conventional plastics such as polyolefin, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride to the packaging sector is discussed in this chapter. The following sections describe the various kinds of biopolymers, depending on their origin. Compared with neat polymer, polymer nanocomposites have better characteristics in various cases. From the perspective of packaging applications, the different organic and inorganic nanofillers and their properties are examined in detail. This chapter includes a discussion of the role of nanofillers in the polymer matrix in terms of barrier characteristics, as well as a brief description of polymer nanocomposites and their use in the food packaging industry.