Effect of Plasticizer Type and Concentration on Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Sugar Palm Starch–Based Films

Abstract

In the quest for biodegradable and environmentally friendly packaging materials, starch-based films have been considered as a potential alternative to address ecological problems that emerged from the use of nonbiodegradable petroleum-based plastics. Thus, this article presents a new biopolymer (sugar palm starch) for the preparation of biodegradable packaging films using the solution-casting technique. The effects of different plasticizer types (glycerol [G], sorbitol [S], and glycerol-sorbitol [GS] combination) with varying concentrations (0, 15, 30, and 45, w/w %) on the dynamic mechanical properties of sugar palm starch (SPS) films were evaluated. It was observed that the storage (E′) and loss modulus (E″) of the plasticized SPS films decrease as plasticizer concentration increases from 15 to 45%. S-plasticized films showed higher storage modulus (1000 MPa) than G (880 MPa) and GS (920 MPa) plasticized films, irrespective of plasticizer concentration.