Nylon-6–mordenite composite membranes were fabricated for adsorbing ethylene released from bananas. In the membrane fabrication, the wet-phase inversion method was employed when a nylon-6/mordenite/methanol solution was immersed in water. The composite membranes had a porous structure with a cavelike structure or a spongelike one in the top layer, depending on the mordenite content from 0 to 30 wt %. For ethylene adsorption ability, as the mordenite loading increased in the membrane, high adsorptibility appeared. Then the removal of ethylene released from Chiquita bananas was practically examined. The ethylene production from bananas in 10 days storage was monitored in the closed container with the presence and absence of membranes. The results showed that 30 wt % mordenite loaded membranes adsorbed ethylene with less than 0.7 μmol/gbanana for 10 days at 20 °C in the presence of bananas and kept the bananas fresh. This meant the membranes could extend the lifetime of fruits.

No abstract