Effect of Na- and Organo-Modified Montmorillonite/Essential Oil Nanohybrids on the Kinetics of the In Situ Radical Polymerization of Styrene.

The great concern about the use of hazardous additives in food packaging materials has shown the way to new bio-based materials, such as nanoclays incorporating bioactive essential oils (EO). One of the still unresolved issues is the proper incorporation of these materials into a polymeric matrix. The in situ polymerization seems to be a promising technique, not requiring high temperatures or toxic solvents.