Packaging Applications Commodity of PLA

The packaging industry has been constantly looking to replace glass with polymeric materials and has recently focused on biobased polymers. However, for very delicate food products such as beer or coffee, there is a challenge to keep the freshness of the food that is related to the lowest increase of oxygen into the pack. Salame et al [207] presented the Table 8.6 and proposed a relationship that will allow a rough estimation of the shelf life t  

Where is the sensitivity of the food given in Table 8.6, with L is the con- 

One other drawback of PLA in the packaging sector is the heat deflection temperature at 50-60°C that will provoke poor resistance to heat and lumping of pellets during transport, storage, and processing, as well as cause 

Food or Beverages at 25 °C Maximum Oxygen Tolerance Gain in ppm/year 

The correct balance has to be found between the durability of the packaging needed for the preservation of packed food during its shelf-life, and the expected biodegradability at the end of the life cycle. Addition of nanocomposites in PLA can improve barrier properties for food applications and increase degradation in compost conditions [217]. On the other hand, plasticizers are commonly added to promote flexibility of PLA but degradation increases, and food shelf life is often negatively affected by increasing plasticizer content [89]. 

---