Bilayer films composed of wheat gluten film and UV-cured coating: water vapor permeability and other functional properties

Summary Two types of UV-cured coating were deposited on wheat gluten film to improve the water vapor barrier properties of this highly interesting natural film in such application as fresh produces packaging. The use of an epoxy acrylate and an urethane acrylate coating allowed to reduce by half the water solubility and the water vapor permeance of the gluten film. Concerning the mechanical properties, the new bilayer films were more resistant but less resilient and flexible than the control gluten film. But the good adhesion between each UV coating and the gluten film increased the interest for these original materials.