Study of the Tensile and Structural Properties of Antioxidant CaCO3-Modified Polyethylene Films

The demand for modified packaging materials increases annually. At the same time, there is growing interest in the development of functional packaging. The incorporation of modifiers, stabilizers, and fillers into polymer matrices can enhance the functionality of the material but may also negatively affect its safety. Polymers are susceptible to degrada-tion, which negatively affects their strength and tensile properties under external factors (physical, chemical or environmental). Packaging containing antimicrobial and antioxi-dant agents is among the most promising, as it contributes to the product quality during storage. Films based on calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) and dihydroquercetin (DHQ) remain insufficiently studied, despite their potential. Such materials are especially relevant for fatty products with a large contact surface area, including butter, cheese, and other solid high-fat foods. Butter is often packaged under conditions that allow oxygen exposure, which initiates oxidative degradation on the surface. Antimicrobial and antioxidant agents in packaging can prevent oxidation. This study aimed to comprehensively inves-tigate the structural and tensile properties of polyethylene films modified with varying contents of CaCO₃ and DHQ. The films were produced via blown film extrusion using a laboratory extruder (SJ-28). Surface analysis was performed using scanning electron mi-croscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to examine the film's composition. Based on the results, the modi-fied polyethylene-based film with CaCO₃ and DHQ shows potential for use as food pack-aging with antioxidant properties. The obtained film demonstrated stability of tensile properties, which supports its suitability for reducing the risk of micro- and nanoplastic migration into food during storage.