Effect of in situ apatite on performance of collagen fiber film for food packaging applications

This study attempted to prepare apatite in situ in acid-swollen cowhide collagen film by an ammonia gas fumigating method and assess its reinforcement effect on a collagen fiber film for food packaging applications. The X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results confirmed the successful synthesis of apatite in collagen fiber films. SEM images showed that tiny apatite particles appeared as a coating on the film surface and also made the film's inner structure more compact and less porous than pure collagen fiber film. Apatite significantly (p < 0.05) increased the tensile strength and improved the water vapor barrier and water insolubility properties of collagen fiber film. Moreover, the thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry results confirmed that the thermal stability of collagen was improved with the increasing apatite. The in situ–synthesized apatite provided a practical reinforcement approach to improving the collagen fiber film's performance and benefited its application as a food packaging material. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 44154.