Development of new biodegradable packaging

Abstract

The aim of this work was the development and the characterisation of biocomposite films obtained from a mixture of corn starch and microcrystalline cellulose and the study of the influence of a plasticisers mixture on the behaviour of these films. These have been characterised in order to use them as new formulations to produce films for food packaging. The films obtained are generally homogeneous, opaque, thin, smooth and having a good coherence with no visual defects. The results of the tests (water sorption isotherm, water vapour permeability, thermogravimetric and mechanical test) have shown improvements on the films’ properties using a plasticisers mixture (glycerol/DL-lactic acid) better than those obtained by plasticisation by glycerol or by DL-Lactic acid taken individually. This is explained by the fact that the plasticisers mixture (glycerol/DL-lactic acid) has a double plasticising effect: internal plasticisation due to the intercalation of polymer-substituted chains between the polymer chains and external plasticisation due to glycerol molecules. In addition, the hydrogen bonds formed in this new plasticisation are more stable than those formed during the use of glycerol or of the DL-lactic acid separately, thereby giving rise to a material with improved properties.