LLDPE film development surface with nucleating agents to reduce fat stains from food adherence on the film surface for easy rinsing before recycling

The purpose of this research was to enhance the surface of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) film by using single and hybrid nucleating agents to reduce fat stains from food adherence on the film surface for easy rinsing before recycling, consequently reducing energy consumption before recycling. The process begins with the preparation of a high-concentration masterbatch of LLDPE with nucleating agents and polyethylene glycol (PEG), followed by blown film and test analysis. The results showed that both single and hybrid nucleating agents resulted in substantial modifications in the surface characteristics of the film. The altered surface texture of the film makes fat stains easy to remove. In addition, the use of hybrid nucleating agents resulted in considerable roughness on the film's surface. It can calculate the average roughness (Ra) from atomic force microscopy (AFM) images, which is very low at 4.7 nm, and the roughness is consistent. The contact angle was 99.17 degrees, and the percentage of crystallinity was clearly higher than that of a single nucleating agent. As a result, the fat stains on the film surface are easier to remove. The visual appearance, morphology, functional group, and mechanical properties of the films, on the other hand, were not significantly different. In summary, using a nucleating agent helped to rinse fat stains from the film easily.