Preparation of degradable modified atmosphere films by blending polybutylene glycol 2,5-furandicarboxylate - polytetrahydrofurandiol polyether esters with poly (butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate) and its application in strawberry preservation

A block polyether esters (PBTF) with excellent toughness was synthesized in this study by polybutylene glycol 2,5-furandicarboxylate (PBF) as the hard segment and polytetrahydrofurandiol (PHTF) as the soft segment. The degradable and modified atmosphere films were developed by blending PBTF with poly (butyleneadipate-co- terephthalate) (PBAT). PBTF/PBAT film containing 3 % PBTF demonstrated outstanding mechanical properties and gas permeability. The tensile strength was increased by 17.21 % and the degradation properties of the film were improved. The CO 2 /O 2 gas separation coefficient was found to be as high as 13.99 and the water vapour permeability was reduced to 3.54 × 10 −13 g·cm/(cm 2 ·s·Pa), a reduction of 22.75 %. These properties contributed to maintaining a favorable atmosphere inside the package (2.6 %-3.5 % CO 2 and 15.6 %-16.7 % O 2 ) and inhibited microbial growth and nutrient loss, extending the shelf life of strawberries to 18 days (8 ℃). This degradable PBTF/PBAT modified atmosphere film has significant potential for use in fruit and vegetable packaging.