Anti-gnawing bio-polymer composites from non-toxic substances extracted from hot chili pepper

Abstract

This research studied anti-gnawing bio-polymer composites to prevent rodent destroy the plastic products. Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) used as a bio-polymer matrix incorporated with capsicum oleoresin (CO) and denatonium benzoate (DB). CO extracted form hot chili pepper provided the burning sensation to mammal and DB gave a bitterest taste as a non-toxic substance. CO liquid was impregnated in the porous of silica called SiCO. The anti-gnawing bio-polymer composites were prepared by internal mixer and formed the specimens by compression molding machine. The anti-gnawing bio-polymer composites were determined anti-gnawing properties and mechanical properties. The anti-gnawing properties was examined in term of percentage of weight loss monitoring every week for one month. The results showed that the bio-polymer composites could be able to withstand the gnawing from rats with decreasing percentage of weight loss around 16% as comparing to neat PBS; however, the increase in SiCO concentration did not significantly improve the anti-gnawing properties. The addition of SiCO did not significantly reduce mechanical properties of the bio-polymer composites; however the corporation of DB/ZnSt decreased those properties of the composites.