Novel ethylene scavenger based on sillimanite and bentonite clay for packaging applications: A sustainable alternative for preservation of fresh produce

Natural and chemical-free material in food packaging applications has gained interest globally with increasing demand for human health and environmental concerns. The present research aimed to develop a mineral and clay-based ethylene scavenger by mixing Sillimanite (Al2SiO5) and Bentonite (Al2H2O6Si) at different ratios to protect the deterioration of fruits and vegetables. The samples were prepared in different proportions of Sillimanite and Bentonite on a weight basis and named SL/BT (100:0), SL/BT (80:20), SL/BT (70:30), and SL/BT (50:50). The ethylene adsorption capacity of the samples was studied for 21 days under three conditions, i.e., 29±3 °C and 55 ± 3% RH, 25 °C and 75 ± 2% RH, 55 °C, and 99 ± 1% RH. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) result determines the average particle size of sillimanite (80–100 nm) and bentonite (80–110 nm. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) result shows the surface area and pore volume of the sillimanite (8.42 m2/g and 0.039 cc/g) and bentonite (20.765 m2/g, 0.073 cc/g), higher surface area and pore volume result in higher ethylene adsorption. FTIR was performed to analyze the functional group changes after ethylene adsorption. The samples kept at 29±3 °C and 55 ± 3% RH showed the highest ethylene adsorption capacity of 84%. From the above study, the mineral clay-based material can effectively enhance the shelf life of fruits and vegetable packaging.