High Water Barrier Nanobiocomposites of Methyl Cellulose and Chitosan for Film and Coating Applications

Polysaccharides and protein biopolymers are of increasing interest for their use as sustainable film and coating materials. However, their main drawback in these applications is their inherent high water permeability and low water resistance at high relative humidity conditions. In this study, two specifically designed commercial fillers of different nature and aspect ratios were successfully incorporated into two polysaccharides: methyl cellulose and chitosan. The morphology study indicated that a good dispersion with intercalation of the fillers was observed in both matrices. The water barrier properties of the nanobiocomposites were found to be enhanced to a significant extent, particularly for the higher aspect ratio filler, as compared to the pure matrix materials, while the biodegradability of the composite materials was maintained.