Abstract
Pollution and destruction of the environment due to the accumulation of non-degradable plastics are some of the most important concerns in the world. A significant amount of this waste is related to the polymers used in food packaging. Therefore, experts in the food industry have been looking for suitable biodegradable alternatives to synthetic polymers. Preparing biocompatible and biodegradable films based on starch is a good choice. In this study, various factors affecting films of starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/containing ZnO nanoparticles such as the amount of starch, PVA, glycerol, and ZnO were evaluated by response surface methodology (RSM). Film formation by solvent casting method, mechanical properties, swelling, solubility, and water vapor permeability (WVP) were selected as responses of RSM. The results showed that hydrogen bonding interactions between polyvinyl alcohol and starch improved the film formation. The effect of glycerol and PVA content on the mechanical strength was contrary to each other. As the amount of PVA increased, the tensile strength first decreased and then increased. The value of WVP was for all Runs from 0 to 6.77 × 10− 8 g m− 1 s− 1 Pa− 1. Finally, films with high film formation, maximum tensile strength, and high elongation at break, minimum solubility, permeability, and swelling were optimized.
Highlights
In the last 20 years, the production and use of plastics worldwide have significantly increased, and the problem of waste disposal has become more apparent [1, 2]
The amount of starch, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), glycerol and zinc oxide were considered as variables affecting the final properties of the films in the experimental design
Results shown with increasing the amount of PVA, the film formation of the samples has increased
Summary
In the last 20 years, the production and use of plastics worldwide have significantly increased, and the problem of waste disposal has become more apparent [1, 2]. Much research has been done on food packaging using natural polymers such as starch, chitosan, cellulose, gelatin, polycaprolactone, etc. Starch is one of the natural, biocompatible and biodegradable polymers widely studied by researchers because starch can form cohesive sheets when processed under certain conditions [8]. Still, when exposed to shear forces, thermal energy, and softeners, its granules irreversibly lose their semicrystalline structure and become a matrix [9]. Such starch behavior has been widely used to produce biodegradable plastics. The researchers note that despite the convenience of preparing starch films, these films may have disadvantages such as low mechanical strength compared to synthetic polymers, leading to their combination with synthetic plastics. Starch can be combined with other polymers, including polyvinyl alcohol, glycerol, and polyethylene glycol [10,11,12]
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