Preparation and Performance of Polyvinyl Alcohol/Maltodextrin Composite Water-soluble Films for Oral Care Product Packaging

CHEN Zhijie; FAN Xiaoping; LI Yuxian; LIN Mingxiang

doi:10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.07.008

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Packaging Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (7) : 62-72. DOI: 10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.07.008

Preparation and Performance of Polyvinyl Alcohol/Maltodextrin Composite Water-soluble Films for Oral Care Product Packaging

CHEN Zhijie¹, FAN Xiaoping^1,*, LI Yuxian², LIN Mingxiang²

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Abstract

The work aims to develop a polyvinyl alcohol-based water-soluble film with high mechanical properties and dissolution rate, providing a new packaging method for oral care products. Polyvinyl alcohol and maltodextrin were mixed in a certain proportion and added with polyethylene glycol as a plasticizer to prepare a series of water-soluble films by the coating method. The mechanical properties and dissolution performance of the water-soluble films were analyzed through single-factor and orthogonal experiments, and their application effect in packaging oral care products was verified. The orthogonal experiment results showed that the water-soluble film with a solute mass fraction of 0.18 g/mL, a solute ratio (polyvinyl alcohol:maltodextrin) of 3:1, and a volume ratio of plasticizer to solution of 0.009 mL/mL had the highest comprehensive score. The tensile strength and elongation at break were 42.06 MPa and 218.58%, respectively and the dissolution time was 41.57 s, which represented an increase of 3.78% and 41.78%, respectively, and a 49.54% reduction in dissolution time compared to those of pure polyvinyl alcohol films. After this water-soluble film was used to package the dry toothpaste and tooth powder and tested for dissolution effect, the tooth powder package showed excellent dissolution rate, and was completely dissolved and dispersed in water after 20 s. The dissolution rate of the toothpaste package was slower, and was completely dissolved after 60 s. The optimal group of water-soluble films obtained from the orthogonal experiment exhibits the best comprehensive mechanical and dissolution properties. Microscopic characterization reveals a dense surface structure, excellent compatibility among components, and a sound foundation for functionalization. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirms that the stability of the system mainly stems from strong hydrogen-bonding interactions between components. Water contact angle measurements indicate that water-soluble films of different components exhibit consistent wetting behavior and favorable storage stability. In addition, the endothermic peaks of each component show slight differences in the thermal analysis curves, which, combined with the characteristic crystallinity of polyvinyl alcohol observed in the diffraction patterns, further verify the homogeneity of the system. In summary, this water-soluble film demonstrates promising application potential in the novel packaging field of oral care products.

Key words

polyvinyl alcohol / maltodextrin / polyethylene glycol / mechanical property / dissolution performance / oral care product packaging

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CHEN Zhijie, FAN Xiaoping, LI Yuxian, LIN Mingxiang. Preparation and Performance of Polyvinyl Alcohol/Maltodextrin Composite Water-soluble Films for Oral Care Product Packaging[J]. Packaging Engineering. 2026, 47(7): 62-72 https://doi.org/10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.07.008

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