High Oxygen and Water-Vapor Transmission Rate and In Vitro Cytotoxicity Assessment with Illite-Polyethylene Packaging Films

This work reports the preparation of a ceramic hybrid composite film with illite and polyethylene (illite-PE), and the evaluation of the freshness-maintaining properties such as oxygen transmission rate (OTR), water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), tensile strength, and in vitro cytotoxicity. The particle size of the illite material was controlled to within 10 μm. The illite-PE masterbatch and film were prepared using a twin-screw extruder and a blown film maker, respectively. The dispersity and contents of illite material in each masterbatch and composite film were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). In addition, the OTR and WVTR of the illite-PE composite film were 8315 mL/m²·day, and 13.271 g/m²·day, respectively. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the illite-PE composite film was evaluated using L929 cells, and showed a cell viability of more than 92%. Furthermore, the freshness-maintaining property was tested for a packaging application with bananas; it was found to be about 90%, as indicated by changes in the color of the banana peel, after 12 days.