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Polypropylene (PP) has some disadvantages when used in food packaging: PP does not have antibacterial properties, and it exhibits low barrier properties. In this study, nanocomposites of PP filled with different amounts of silver-decorated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-Ag) were fabricated. A new nanomaterial with silver had the advantage of providing antibacterial capabilities, and the contribution of MWCNTs was to reinforce mechanical properties. PP was melt-blended with MWCNTs-Ag, but the ensuing problem was the poor interfacial interaction of fillers with the polymer matrix, especially at high filler content. Nonetheless, a small quantity of fillers resulted in the following improvement in nanocomposite properties, relative to neat PP: better antibacterial ability, lower water vapor permeation flux, lower oxygen barrier performance, higher thermostability, faster crystallization rate and higher tensile strength. Therefore, nanocomposites formed from modifying PP with a low content of MWCNTs-Ag show promise in the field of packaging and medical material applications.

A new filler for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was synthesized by doping carbon black (CB) with nanosilver. Images taken from energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry and X-ray diffraction validated the synthesis of the filler (nanosilver-doped CB (CB-Ag)). We evaluated the effect of CB-Ag on the mechanical, thermal, and antibacterial properties of the nanocomposites (CB-Ag/PET). Thermogravimetric analyses, morphology, and tensile tests indicated that thermodegradation, crystallization rate, and tensile strength were all improved as a result of filling PET with CB-Ag. Excellent antibacterial properties were imparted to PET nanocomposites, which would be useful for a wide array of industrial applications.

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