FTIR, XRD, and DSC analysis of the rosemary extract effect on polyethylene structure and biodegradability
文摘
Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique enabled the study of the effect of the rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) extract on polyethylene foils structure and biodegradability. The polyethylene used for food packaging contains synthetic antioxidants which are often able to migrate and to contaminate the food. Natural extracts with antioxidant properties may be an interesting alternative for the polyethylene fabrication. The influence of the rosemary present in different concentrations in non-irradiated and irradiated polyethylene samples was studied. The biodegradability studies were carried out by incubating the modified polyethylene with the yeast Candida lipolytica. The changes of physical properties and morphological aspects before and after fungal attack were studied by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and DSC. With some exceptions due to the nonuniform character of the investigated samples, the melting peak temperature and crystallization degree were found to decrease with increasing of rosemary content and irradiation. Synergic effects of rosemary and irradiation on the film biodegradability were directly confirmed by optical microscopy.