Improvement of the functional properties of cellulose acetate film by incorporating with glycerol and n-propanol

Cellulose acetate (CA) was used for the preparation of food packaging film. Glycerol and n-propanol were introduced, as plasticizer and transparent agent, respectively for evaluating the possible changes of the film functional properties on tensile strength and transparency. The transmittance, haze value, tensile strength and flexibility were acquired by using optical and mechanical analyses, respectively. The presence of glycerol improved the functional properties of films by increasing their extensibility, flexibility and elasticity; however transparency of the films deteriorated with the inclusion of plasticizer. Therefore, the addition of n-propanol as transparent agent into the films enhanced the transparency. Moreover, morphological changes and gas barrier property were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and water vapor transmission rate analyses. The results suggest that CA films incorporated with plasticizer and transparent agent have good functional properties in isolating water vapor, mechanical performance and optical properties, demonstrating that the optimal film has a potential in the application for food packaging. Graphical abstract High strength transparent cellulose acetate film (CAF) was prepared with glycerol as plasticizer and n-propanol as transparent agent. The addition of glycerol and n-propanol has a significant influence on film mechanical performance, optical properties, water vapor barrier property and physical behavior, such as pore structure.