A hurdle strategy to develop sugarcane wax-based O/W emulsion for enhancing the functionality of Carboxymethyl cellulose sustainable packaging film

This study investigated the effects of mechanical treatments, namely magnetic stirring (S), high-shear homogenization (HS), and ultrasonication (150, 300, and 600 W), on the sugarcane wax-based oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion and its integration into carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-based packaging films. The objective was to tackle issues, such as hydrophilic properties in CMC films and wax particle aggregation, by enhancing emulsion characteristics. Of the formulations, S/HS/300 W exhibited superior performance, attaining homogenous particle sizes ≤1 μm, a low polydispersity index (21.12), and a high ζ-potential (−41.55 mV), signifying improved stability. It also showed enhanced thermal stability, reduced crystallinity, and valuable rheology. Incorporating the S/HS/300 W emulsion into CMC films markedly improved water resistance, elevated hydrophobicity (115.5° water contact angle), decreased water vapor permeability by 23%, offered UV light protection dropped by 0%, decreased visible light transmission, and boosted mechanical qualities; the tensile strength rose by 34.2%. This study underscores the efficacy of mechanical processing in the production of high-performance films for sustainable packaging.