In this study, we investigated the effects of aging treatment on the physicochemical, mechanical, and barrier properties of edible composite films prepared from shellac (Sh) and cellulose nanofiber (CNF) with different blending ratios. Sh–CNF films (0%, 20%, and 50% CNF) were fabricated and subjected to aging for 7 days at 40°C and 53% relative humidity. Film thickness was found to decline with both CNF incorporation and aging, whereas there were corresponding increases in opacity, particularly in Sh-rich films. In addition, the moisture content and water solubility of films declined at higher CNF ratios, and aging contributed to further reductions in moisture content, although had no significant effects on water solubility. Color analysis revealed that aging promoted the yellowing of pure Sh films, whereas the addition of CNF mitigated these changes. The findings of mechanical analysis revealed that CNF enhanced tensile strength, yield stress, Young’s modulus, and work of break, although reduced elongation at break. Aging contributed to further enhancements of strength and stiffness, along with a reduction in flexibility, although the magnitude of change diminished at higher CNF contents. Furthermore, the findings of gas barrier analysis indicated that CNF was associated with reductions in oxygen permeability, although promoted increases in water vapor permeability, with aging having the opposite effects. Collectively, these findings revealed that the functional properties of Sh–CNF films can be tailored via controlled aging and blending, thereby highlighting the potential utility of these films as edible packaging materials.

This study examined the physicochemical and mechanical properties of edible composite films made of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) and shellac (Sh). All films were conditioned at 25℃ and 53% relative humidity (RH) for at least 48 h before analyses. Increasing the Sh ratio from 0% to 100% resulted in an increase in film thickness from 57.8 μm to 71.1 μm, while opacity decreased significantly from 22.3 mm⁻¹ to 3.7 mm⁻¹. With the increase in the Sh ratio, the moisture content, water solubility, and swelling of the film increased from 9.7% to 35.1%, 4.9% to 100%, and 3.0% to 10.5%, respectively. The CNF film (0% Sh) exhibited a lower water contact angle than the films with 80% and 100% Sh, but it was more water-resistant. As the Sh ratio increased, the tensile strength, yield stress, Young’s modulus, and work of break of the films decreased significantly from 17.9 MPa to 0.3 MPa, 1.00 MPa to 0.38 MPa, 220.7 MPa to 0.9 MPa, and 0.67 MJ/m3 to 0.13 MJ/m3, respectively. Conversely, the elongation at break increased dramatically from 10% to 253%. This study demonstrated that the thickness, opacity, moisture-related properties, and mechanical properties of CNF-Sh composite films could be tailored by varying the biopolymer ratio.