Mechanical dispersion of layered double hydroxides hosting active molecules in polyethylene: Analysis of structure and physical properties

Layered double hydroxide (LDH) modified with different organic molecules were obtained via co-precipitation method. The prepared inorganic-organic hybrids were dispersed at 3 wt% in a low density polyethylene (LDPE) matrix by high energy ball milling (HEBM). Films were obtained and structural organization and thermal, mechanical and oxygen barrier properties investigated. In order to evaluate a possible application in food packaging field, overall migration tests were also conducted on selected composites. They were used acetic acid 3% and ethanol 10%, to simulate foods with acidic and hydrophilic character in non-swelling conditions, and alcoholic foods and dairy products under more swelling conditions, respectively.