Assessment of Polymer Nanocomposite for Packaging Uses and Concerns about Environmental and Health Effects

Abstract

A nanocomposite material is composed of several phases with at least one, two, or three dimensions in the nanoscale range. When material dimensions are lowered to the nanoscale, phase interfaces are created, and they are essential for enhancing the material's characteristics. The surface area to volume ratio of the reinforced material used to create nanocomposites has a direct bearing on how structure and property relate to one another. Due to their remarkable property combinations and unusual design feasibility, polymer nanocomposites have recently gained a lot of research interest due to their intriguing potential for a variety of packaging, sports equipment, automotive industry, and bio-medical applications. In order to maintain these property improvements, polymer nanocomposites have attracted more attention in both academic and industry sectors. Polymeric nanocomposites offer a number of benefits over conventional materials, including light weighting, flexibility, ease of manufacturing, and low cost of the finished product. The packing properties of polymer-based nanocomposites are greatly improved due to their outstanding nanoparticle dispersion tendencies. Additionally, the viability of adding biologically active additives has demonstrated enormous potentials for giving the finished product improved functional qualities. As a result, polymer nanocomposites with bio-functional tendencies have shown a wide range of potential uses as packaging materials in the functional food packaging sector. This is because the material's properties have steadily improved, such as increased strength and modulus, decreased gas permeability, and increased water resistance. As a result, the current study examines current state-of-the-art newly emerging trends in the manufacture and characterization of polymer nanocomposites as eco-friendly and biodegradable packaging materials, as well as their potential future market prospects.