Abstract
Biodegradable materials are used in the manufacture of packaging and compostable films and various types of medical products. These have demonstrated high potential in medical applications: cardiac, vascular and orthopaedic conditions in adults as well in children. In our research, the extrusion-cooking technique was used to obtain environmentally friendly loose-fill foams as packaging. Potato starch was the basic raw material. Polyvinyl alcohol was used as an additive in the amount of 1%, 2% and 3% to replace starch. The components were mixed and moistened with water to various initial moisture contents of the blend (17%, 18% and 19%). The processing of starch foams employed the TS-45 single screw extruder-cooker (Gliwice, Poland) with the L/D ratio of 12. The foams were processed with various screw speeds (100 and 130 rpm) and with two types of forming dies (circular and ring die). The extrusion-cooking process efficiency (kg h−1) and the energy consumption (kWh kg−1) during the processing were also measured. The results showed that the processing efficiency of potato starch foams varied depending on the level of polyvinyl alcohol, the shape of the forming die and the screw speed applied. The analysis of energy consumption, mechanical properties and FTIR analyses demonstrated that the type of the forming die and the initial moisture level had the most significant impact on specific energy demands during the processing of potato starch-based foams.
Highlights
Rock, soil, wood, fiber and bones of living organisms are natural porous materials [1,2]
The aim of the study was to assess the efficiency and energy consumption during the processing of starch-based foams with various polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) addition as well as measuring selected mechanical properties of foams as well as FTIR spectra depending on the processing conditions and forming dies used
Based on the value of the F0 test, it must be underlined that the rotational speed of the extruder-cooker screw and the type of die used had a major effect on the efficiency of the extrusion-cooking of starchy foams
Summary
Soil, wood, fiber and bones of living organisms are natural porous materials [1,2]. The natural environment abounds in porous materials with hierarchically ordered structures of interconnected pores of different lengths. Natural porous materials still to be discovered and examined, for example, islands and lands formed of volcanic rock (cooled lava). First polymeric foamed material was invented in the early 20th century. The first polymer foam was made in the 1930s [3,4] with the use of polystyrene (1931).
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