Composite films made with gelatin, tracetin, stearic and caproic acids:: effect of pH and surfactants addition on the functionality of films

The development of biofilms has grown considering the possibility of partial substitution of plastic materials which are not biodegradable. Proteins and polysaccharides have been used to produce films with good mechanical properties. However, films produced with these materials present a high permeability in water vapor. An alternative to improve the water vapor barrier of films is to incorporate hydrophobic substances (stearic and caproic fatty acids) in the composition of the filmogenic solution, however this incorporation does not occur homogeneously. Thus, to improve the incorporation of hydrophobic substances in the protein matrix of the film, surfactants (SDS and Tween 80) were added. They are compounds that improve the interaction between the protein and the fatty acids, producing a less heterogeneous filmogenic matrix. The effect of pH was also studied, with the purpose of observing if it influences the homogeneity of the filmogenic matrix. The addition of stearic acid to the gelatin-based films was more efficient in reducing the water vapor permeability than the caproic acid. Adding surfactant SDS reduced water vapor permeability of both films, with stearic acid or caproic acid. Adjusting the pH to the films with no surfactants produced more homogeneous matrices.