Development of cellulose and banana bract extract reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) film incorporated with in-situ generated nano silver as freshness indicating packaging film.

A novel polymer film with ammonia sensing characteristics has been developed for smart fish packaging applications. The 'cellulose and banana bract extract (BBE)' reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composite films containing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been made using the solution casting technique. The developed films were characterized using FTIR, FESEM, TGA, XRD, and UV-Vis spectroscopic techniques. The water repellent property of the developed films was confirmed from the measurements of water solubility (WS), water vapor permeability (WVP) and water contact angle (WCA). The mechanical property of the films was assessed using Universal Testing Machine. The results have shown that the film made with optimised composition, PVACEL(5)AGBBE, exhibits enhanced mechanical and water repellent properties when compared to the pristine PVA films with the tensile strength, elongation at break, WVP and WCA values of 20.4 MPa, 168 %, 2.03 × 10-7 g/m2. s. Pa and 71.3o respectively. The composite film showed remarkable sensitivity to pH with prominent color changes when exposed to different pH conditions, indicating its applicability as a packaging material with sensory characteristics to monitor the freshness of packed food. Overall, the study provides an innovative approach to convert agricultural waste to a multifunctional packaging material.