Abstract:

The influences of blending, plasticized, crosslinking and emulsifying modifications on the properties of gelatin
film were systematically studied in this research. The results showed that gelatin blended with chitosan and sodium alginate
respectively had a better solubility with the film uniform and transparent and an enhanced barrier with low water vapor
permeability and oxygen permeability. Glycerol as a plasticizer improved elongation and tensile strength of the gelatin film
which enhanced mechanical properties. Sodium citrate crosslinking modification on gelatin film decreased the water vapor
permeability, which enhanced barrier properties and improved the mechanical strength with tensile strength enhanced, but
the light transmittance of the film decreased. The emulsifier Tween-80 added at a concentration of 0.1% reduced water vapor
permeability and enhanced the barrier property of the film, at the same time, increased the tensile strength and improved
mechanical properties. This study suggested that blending, plasticized, crosslinking and emulsifying effectively affect
the barrier properties and mechanical properties, improve the comprehensive properties of gelatin film to satisfy the different
application areas.

Key words: gelatin, modification, edible film, chitosan