Creation of biodegradable polymeric materials with antimicrobial properties

Abstract

In the current study, development of the polymer packaging modification technology with natural antimicrobial and antioxidant components were carried out. The aim was to add some new properties to the packaging in order to prolong the shelf life of packaged food products. The birch bark extract with the main active ingredient betulin and dihydroquercetin was used as the natural modifier. The natural starch-based fillers were used to impart the biodegradation effect on the polymeric materials. Definition of the rheological properties of polymers, deformation-strength characteristics of polymer compositions before and after the composting method, sanitary, and chemical properties of polymer materials were evaluated. It should be noted that the laboratory extruder with ultrasonic processing (US) of the polymer composite materials’ melt (PCM) was used to obtain experimental samples. The results have proved the effectiveness of the usage of ultrasonic treatment to obtain PCM based on betulin and starch. A patent application was generated as well.