Review on the characterization of starch biocomposite films in packaging application

Abstract

As an alternative to advocating biodegradable packaging to reduce plastic wastes, starchbased materials are proposed to be used as an element to be integrated into the packaging due to their abundance in nature. Starch-based materials can be converted into any desired shape and size, therefore, making it the perfect basis for eco-friendly packaging. The availability of starch readily in nature from numerous resources including cassava, maize, and potato enables it to be a low-cost raw material. However, starch-based packaging is often deemed weak and brittle thus, it requires reinforcement. It can be from various biological origins including cellulose, fibres, and nano clay producing starch biocomposite materials. Starch biocomposites are frequently studied to be employed in packaging due to their biodegradability which when used in the packaging can be directly degraded into the environment. The form of films for these biocomposites is often analyzed and these biocomposites films possess improved mechanical and optical properties such as higher tensile strength and lower density which resemble the conventional petroleum-based plastics. Studies have included the outcomes of fabrication and characterization analyses of biocomposite film based on the morphological, optical, thermal, barrier, and mechanical properties. Therefore, this paper aimed to review the characterization of the starch-based biocomposite films that can be applied in packaging based on the analyses done by previous researchers.