Mechanical and Functional Properties of Biodegradable Films Compounding from Low-density Poly Ethylene (LDPE), Modified Corn Starch (MCS)

Abstract

Background: Plastics are well suited as a food packaging material due to their availability, processability, flexibility and seal strength. However, it has the inherent flaw of not being biodegradable. This research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of mechanical and functional properties of a biodegradable films made from a fusion of LDPE and modified corn starch (MCS). Methods: MCS was plasticized with glycerol and, urea and talc powder was added for film hardness. By employing a twin-screw extruder, the mix was allowed to compound before being blown into a thin film by a blown film extruder. Virgin LDPE (T0) and LDPE with MCS blends were made in the ratios of 95:5 (T1), 90:10 (T2), 85:15 (T3) and 80:20 (T4) for comparison. Result: As an outcome, as the starch content was increased the tensile strength decreased to 7.23 MPa from 14.55 MPa (T0). Similarly, the elongation at break also reduced to 264.35% from 370.9% (T0) while the elasticity modulus increased to 229.06 MPa from 172.15 MPa (T0). With the addition of MCS concentration, the thickness and water solubility increased significantly. In the temperature range of 85-155°C, the films demonstrated good sealing performance. The prepared films can be used for food packaging due to the aforementioned characteristics of the manufactured films.