Effects of molecular weight of polyethylene glycol on the moisture-absorption capacity and morphology of the channeling structure in desiccant composite

Moisture removal inside the packaging of food and pharmaceutical products prevents their deterioration during storage. Therefore, the preparation of desiccants derived from moisture-absorbing materials is important. Herein, desiccant composites with channeling morphologies in the polypropylene (PP) matrix are prepared using polyethylene glycol (PEG) with different molecular weights (Mw) and molecular sieves (MS). The effects of the Mw on the formation, morphology, and stability of the channeling structure are investigated. All composites exhibit microphase separation morphology caused by the channeling structure. Accordingly, the PEG with an Mw of 8000 allows uniform microphase separation in the composite matrix owing to the higher chemical compatibility with MS in the formation of the channeling structure, thus inducing significant moisture absorption. Therefore, these composites can be used to introduce novel desiccant packaging in the food and pharmaceutical industries.