Incorporation of Poly(ethylene 2,5-furanoate) into Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) toward Sustainable Food Packaging Films with Enhanced Strength and Barrier Properties

The development of environment-friendly biodegradable materials has aroused widespread attention and interest. Herein, kilogram-scale poly(ethylene 2,5-furanoate) (PEF) was synthesized and incorporated into poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) via melt-compounding. Then, the PBAT/PEF blend films were prepared by the extrusion blowing method. The results showed that PEF could greatly improve the tensile performance and tear resistance of PBAT/PEF blend films. The superior mechanical properties were achieved in PBAT/PEF10 blend films with a tensile strength of 44.3 ± 2.9 MPa and an elongation at break of 900.5 ± 21.9%. Besides, the transmittance of oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and water vapor sharply reduced by 78.8, 74, and 48.3% in comparison with those of a pure PBAT film, respectively. The inherent barrier characteristic of PEF and the enhanced bonding between PBAT and PEF contributed to the excellent gas and water vapor barrier performance. Furthermore, PBAT/PEF blend films were used for the fruit preservation tests. After a 15 day preservation, the freshness of fruits covered with PBAT/PEF films was well kept, showing great potentialin food packing applications.