Antimicrobial LDPE/EVOH Layered Films Containing Carvacrol Fabricated by Multiplication Extrusion.

This work describes the fabrication of antimicrobial multilayered polymeric films containing carvacrol (used as a model essential oil) by co-extrusion and multiplication technique. The microlayering process was utilized to produce films, with up to 65 alternating layers, of carvacrol-containing low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH). Carvacrol was melt compounded with LDPE or loaded into halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) in a pre-compounding step prior film production.

Antimicrobial Carvacrol-Containing Polypropylene Films: Composition, Structure and Function.

Significant research has been directed toward the incorporation of bioactive plant extracts or essential oils (EOs) into polymers to endow the latter with antimicrobial functionality. EOs offer a unique combination of having broad antimicrobial activity from a natural source, generally recognized as safe (GRAS) recognition in the US, and a volatile nature. However, their volatility also presents a major challenge in their incorporation into polymers by conventional high-temperature-processing techniques.