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Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Quarterly, Vol. 33 No. 3, 2019.

Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.15255/CABEQ.2018.1548

Environmentally Friendly Packaging Materials Based on Thermoplastic Starch

V. Ocelić Bulatović orcid id orcid.org/0000-0002-1604-090X ; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Marulićev trg 19, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
L. Mandić ; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Marulićev trg 19, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
A. Turković ; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Marulićev trg 19, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
D. Kučić Grgić orcid id orcid.org/0000-0001-8427-6482 ; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Marulićev trg 19, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
A. Jozinović orcid id orcid.org/0000-0001-9627-1013 ; Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Food Technology Osijek, F. Kuhača 20, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia
R. Zovko ; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Marulićev trg 19, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
E. Govorčin Bajsić ; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Marulićev trg 19, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia

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Abstract

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is extensively used as packaging material, and as such has a short service life, but long environmental persistence. The alternative to reducing the impact of LDPE as packaging material on the environment is to blend it with carbohydrate-based polymers, like starch. Therefore, the focus of this investigation was to prepare bio-based blends of LDPE and thermoplastic starch (TPS) containing different amounts of TPS using a Brabender kneading chamber. Due to incompatibility of LDPE/TPS blends, a styrene–ethylene/butylene–styrene block copolymer, grafted with maleic anhydride (SEBS-g-MA) containing 2 mol % anhydride groups, was added as a compatibilizer. The effect of the biodegradable, hydrophilic TPS, its content, and the incorporation
of the compatibilizer on the properties of LDPE/TPS blends were analysed. The characterization was performed by means of thermogravimetric analysis (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and water absorption
(WA). Based on the results of the morphological structure, a good dispersion of the TPS phase in LDPE matrix was obtained with the incorporation of compatibilizer, which resulted in better thermal and barrier properties of these materials.

Keywords

low-density polyethylene; thermoplastic starch; compatibilizer; morphology; thermal and barrier properties

Hrčak ID:

225898

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/225898

Publication date:

7.10.2019.

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