Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer/gelatin/cellulose acetate bionic trilayer fibrous membrane for moisture-adjusting

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers Vol. 300; p. 120269
• Main Authors: Xia, Li, Li, Linlin, Xiao, Yewen, Xiao, Feng, Ji, Wei, Jiang, Shaotong, Wang, Hualin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 15.01.2023
• Subjects: Directional water transport; Electrospinning; Food packaging; Moisture-adjusting; Trilayer fibrous membrane; Electrospinning; Directional water transport; Moisture-adjusting; Food packaging; Trilayer fibrous membrane
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.120269

An intelligent bionic trilayer fibrous membrane is developed via electrospinning for the moisture-adjusting of a storage space. The trilayer is composed of a hydrophobic inner layer of cellulose acetate (CA), a super hygroscopic intermediate layer of gelatin (GA) and a hydrophilic outer layer of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH). The hierarchical pore networks of EVOH/GA/CA (∼2.45/∼4.5/∼36.0 μm) and the asymmetry wettability endow the membrane with outstanding directional water transport capacity. Specifically, the membrane has an excellent accumulative one-way transport index (1293 %), a remarkable overall moisture management capacity (0.91) and a reasonably high water evaporation rate (0.59 g h−1). The target membrane can regulate the relative humidity (RH) from 75 % to 50 % without extra energy consumption, which is capable of extending the shelf-life of jerk beef by ∼100 % under surrounding temperature of 25 °C and humidity of 75 % RH. [Display omitted]