Study of Wettability of Polyethylene Membranes for Food Packaging

In this study, the wettability of PET membranes (prepared with different pore sizes) treated by UV irradiation, thermal annealing or doping with metal nanoparticles was investigated. The wettability was studied using the contact angle method based on the optical microscopy. The membranes were analyzed before and after pore etching, and after each applied treatment. It turned out that membranes with different pore sizes exhibit different wetting behavior. Of particular interest are membranes with 0.53 µm pores. When pristine, they show high hydrophobicity (a high contact angle), but after treatment (some of which can be considered as an accelerated aging), their wetting characteristics swap between a hydrophobic and hydrophilic state. Interactions between packaging material and food and the external environment through fine control of wettability could have a major impact on maintaining product quality.