PET–halloysite nanotubes composites for packaging application: Preparation, characterization and analysis of physical properties

Relative crystallinity χ(t), for PET and composites, as function of time (min) for isothermal crystallizations. [Display omitted] •Novel structural and functional PET/HNTs composites were prepared.•High energy ball milling in dry conditions and at ambient temperature was used.•Thermal stability of PET resulted highly improved.•Antimicrobial benzoate was introduced into HNTs and dispersed in PET.•Systems enlighten very good perspectives in the active packaging field. Composites based on Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) were prepared through high energy ball milling (HEBM) at ambient temperature and with no solvents. A wide range of HNTs loading was used (i.e. 1–7wt%) and films produced. Morphological organization and physical (thermal, degradation, mechanical) properties were analyzed and correlated to HNTs content. HNTs were also filled with an antimicrobial model molecule, sodium benzoate, to test the effectiveness of such nano-containers as filler for polymers to be used in active packaging, enlightening very good perspectives in this field.