The purpose of this study was to develop active films of low-density polyethylene incorporated with different concentrations of oregano essential oil (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6% w / w). The production of the films was carried out in a modular mono screw extruder and the   antimicrobial activity was evaluated by the agar diffusion test. The films were analyzed for mechanical, optical and gaseous barrier properties to evaluate changes in the films due to the addition of an antimicrobial agent. As a result, it was found that the control film had a higher luminosity, compared to the others. The opacity was not affected. Saturation, however, had a tendency to transform more vivid colors, while the tone had a decrease tendency towards yellow. In terms of mechanical properties, elongation was not affected, Young's modulus decreased and tension increased. The CO2 permeability decreased. There were no inhibition halos around the films.

This work aimed to evaluate the effect of incorporating different concentrations of montmorillonite in low-density polyethylene films. The incorporation Cloisite® 10A nanocomposite in the films was carried out using a single screw extruder modular. After the incorporation of six concentrations of organophilic montmorillonite clay (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0%, w/w) to the films, their optical, mechanical (tensile strength, elongation and Young modulus), and gas barrier (CO2) properties were investigated. The degree of exfoliation was evaluated through the analysis of X-ray diffraction. The incorporation of nanoparticles from montmorillonite increased the opacity of the films. Regarding their mechanical properties, the incorporated films with montmorillonite presented reductions in tensile strength and elongation values, whereas the modulus of elasticity did not show any significant difference. They also showed an increase in the permeability of CO2. The analysis of X-ray diffraction showed no formation of nanocomposites. It was observed, therefore, that the properties of the films were affected by the incorporation of montmorillonite clay.