Biobased coatings as a solution to improve the overall performances of plastic films

The present research dealt with evaluating barrier, friction and optical properties of three different plastic films after deposition of a gelatin-based bio-coating. The composite films showed improved barrier properties against oxygen and UV radiation. Static and kinetic coefficients of friction were significantly decreased both in the film-to-film and in the film-to-metal tests, leading to a desirable value for many applications. However, bio-coated films showed lower optical performances in terms of transparency and haze. Not significant differences were observed as far as the water vapour permeability is concerned. The obtained data suggest that the lipid-protein coating tested in this study, in spite of its great potential for enhancing some characteristics of plastic packaging films, still exhibits negative aspects which necessitate further improvement