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Preparation and characterization of Starch/PVOH/Laponite RD films for biodegradable food packaging
A. Thatte (1), P. H. MANEPALLI (2), S. Thomas (3), S. Alavi (2). (1) Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India; (2) Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, U.S.A.; (3) Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, India

Petroleum-based packaging is of great concern to the environment. Starch-based packaging is biodegradable and has the additional benefits of abundant availability and natural polymerization. In this phase of study, starch and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) (1:1 to 4:1) were blended with Laponite RD (LRD) (0-20% polymer basis) to form a nanocomposite using solution mixing and melt mixing method and films of thickness ranging between 200 to 400 microns were formed using compression molding technique. Mechanical, thermal and barrier properties were characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Universal Testing (UT), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Permeability Analysis (PA). Study of mechanical properties showed that ultimate stress and maximum elongation of films ranged from 1.83 to 15.41 MPa and 13.02 to 103.6 % respectively, while Young’s Modulus ranged from 13.81 to 42.17 MPa. Mechanical properties improved up to 10% LRD concentration indicating better surface interface interaction between polymer matrix and layers of LRD. Further increase in LRD concentration led to decrease in mechanical properties indicating agglomeration of LRD leading to lesser surface interactions and breaking continuity of polymer matrix. Increasing starch level in polymer matrix weakened the nanocomposites. Water absorption studies showed higher water absorption for solution mixing compared to melt mixing indicating higher degree of exfoliation occurred with melt mixing method. Water absorption decreased with addition of LRD. Increase in mechanical and barrier properties with addition of LRD showed that Starch/PVOH/LRD nanocomposite can be used as biodegradabale food packaging film.

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