Technological watch

A biopolymer film is provided that comprises a combination of crystalline nano cellulose (CNC)/esterified crystalline nano cellulose (ECNC) reinforced with chitosan. The two polymer components can be present in any ratio, but an approximate CNC to ECNC 70:30 ratio is preferred. The chitosan component is derived from exoskeletons of crustaceans. Also provided are methods of preparing biopolymer film and preparing food packaging components from said biopolymer film. The CNC/ECNC mixture is dissolved in an ethanol solution and the chitin is dissolved in acetic acid and mixed together to form a polymer blend.