Bioplastic Films Research Articles

Properties of agar/cassava starch films manufactured by hot-melt extrusion method

Agar/cassava starch bioplastic film preparation using the extrusion technique was carried out to obtain a continuous production method that is more applicable to industrial production practices. Various ratios (w/w) of agar-and-cassava-starch blends were used in the bioplastic film formulations with glycerol as the plasticizer. All the ingredients were compounded using a single-screw extruder at 110°C. The extrudates were dried and chopped into bioplastic resin pellets, followed by hot compression into a film sheet. The bioplastic film samples were tested for their mechanical properties, water sensitivity, biodegradability and chemical structures. In general, the amount of agar in film formulations was prominently associated with superior mechanical properties, such as the tensile strength, elongation at break and water resistance of the samples. On the other hand, cassava starch contributed to faster film degradation in soil and water. These results, in general, could be explained by the inherent properties of each biopolymer constituent and the number of hydroxyl groups (OH) in the chemical structure of each film sample, which was observed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. This investigation showed that agar/cassava starch bioplastic production using the hot-melt extrusion method was promising for further implementation on a commercial production scale.

Synthesis and characterization of bioplastic films from potato peel starch; effect of glycerol as plasticizer

Potatoes, Corn, soy, yam, sugarcane, wheat, and vegetable oil are all examples of renewable resources used to make biobased polymers. As prices of crude oil rising and petroleum resources become scarce, researchers are working hard to find a suitable and verifiable substitute for petroleum-based polymers. For this study, bioplastic films were synthesized using starch from white potato peels and glycerol as the plasticizer. The consequence of plasticizer content on the tensile strength, percentage elongation, and water absorption properties was highlighted. Synthesized bioplastic was characterized by the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, which confirms the molecular structure of starch and the production of bioplastic. Tensile strength reveals an improvement in strength. The tensile strength increases from 0.3 ± 0.05 Mpa to 0.56 ± 0.05 Mpa as the plasticizer volume content increases from 1.5 ml to 2.5 ml. Percentage elongations increase gradually from 2.2 ± 0.05 % to 2.8 ± 0.05 % as plasticizer content increases to 3.5 ml volume content. The water absorption value of the synthesized bioplastic increased with time, due to the hygroscopic properties of prepared starch and glycerol. The synthesized bioplastic from potatoes peels makes a suitable renewable, low-cost, and easily modifiable material and a viable replacement for present conventional plastics.

P‐171: Late‐News Poster: Ultra‐light Liquid Crystal Lenses for AR and VR

Head mounted display systems are widely available, yet there remain key technical challenges to increase their utility in the market. One such challenge is the conflict for human vision between accommodation and vergence when viewing virtual images. At worst this leads to an uncomfortable viewing experience and at best it limits the stereoscopic range. The transition from fixed focal length optics to systems that can be tuned to match the virtual content promises to change to this paradigm. In this paper we describe a tunable liquid crystal lens based on Fresnel optics that allows variable focus of the virtual image. Crucially this is the first time this type of lens has been made with ultra‐thin, light bioplastic films instead of glass, uniquely enabling attractive product form factors.

A mechanically robust biodegradable bioplastic of citric acid modified plasticized yam starch with anthocyanin as a fish spoilage auto-detecting smart film

The current scenario of environmental pollution caused by non-biodegradable plastic and depleting non-renewable resources has called upon the need for biodegradable bioplastic production from renewable resources. Starch bioplastics production from underutilized sources is a viable option for packaging materials that are non-toxic, environmentally benign, and easily biodegradable under disposed conditions. Pristine bioplastic production results in some undesirable qualities and hence requires further modification in order to elevate its potential applicability in real-world scenarios. In this work, yam starch was extracted from a local variety of yams through an eco-friendly and energy-efficient process which was further utilized for bioplastic production. The produced virgin bioplastic was subjected to physical modification through the introduction of plasticizers such as glycerol, while citric acid (CA) was employed as modifier in order to produce the desired starch bioplastic film. The different compositions of starch bioplastics were analyzed for their mechanical properties and maximum tensile strength of 24.60 MPa was observed as the best possible experimental result. The biodegradability feature was further highlighted through soil burial test. Apart from their general function of preservation and protection, the produced bioplastic can be employed for pH-sensitive food spoilage detection through the minute introduction of plant-derived anthocyanin extract into it. The produced pH-sensitive bioplastic film showed distinct changes in color upon an extreme change in the pH value and hence has potential to be used as a smart food packaging material.

Synthesis and characterization of bioplastic film from banana (Musa Cavendish species) peel starch blending with banana pseudo-stem cellulosic fiber

Synthesis and characterization of bioplastic film from banana (Musa Cavendish species) peel starch blending with banana pseudo-stem cellulosic fiber

A green mussel-bioinspired strategy for grafting 3-ene urushiol and AgNPs into soy protein isolate and fabricating a high-strength antimicrobial bioplastic film

Inadequate mechanical stretching, poor barrier performance, and easy microbial breeding of soy protein isolate (SPI) and chitosan (CS) composite film limit its application. Inspired by the mussel phenolic-protein structure, novel cross-linked nanoparticles (U/SPI/Ag) were first fabricated to graft 3-ene urushiol (3-U) and Ag+ into SPI through laccase-oxidation. Then, it was blended with appropriate amounts of CS to prepare facile and sustainable composite films (CMs). The covalent binding rate of 3-U to SPI was 69 %–76 % by laccase-oxidation. Moreover, 3-U partially stretched the polypeptide chain of SPI, reduced the hydrophobicity of the protein surface, and increased the sulfhydryl content to (0.8–2.6) × 10−5 mol/g. In addition, 1.5%U/SPI/Ag had a wide particle size distribution ranging from 40 nm to 200 nm. The tensile strength of the 50%CMs increased substantially to 29.6 MPa, and the elongation at break reached 15.2 %. Interestingly, the water vapor permeability coefficient of the incorporated 50%CMs came up to 3.65 × 10−13 (g·cm)/(cm2·s·Pa). Furthermore, 50%CMs in vitro significantly stimulated the form of ROS in E. coli, led to the fundamental damage to bacteria, and did not induce any significant toxicity in HUVEC cells.

Sustainable Cotton Gin Waste/Polycaprolactone Bio-Plastic with Adjustable Biodegradation Rate: Scale-Up Production through Compression Moulding.

Cotton gin trash (CGT), a lignocellulosic waste generated during cotton fibre processing, has recently received significant attention for production of composite bio-plastics. However, earlier studies were limited to either with biodegradable polymers, through small-scale solution-casting method, or using industrially adaptable extrusion route, but with non-biodegradable polymers. In this study, a scale-up production of completely biodegradable CGT composite plastic film with adjustable biodegradation rate is proposed. First using a twin screw extruder, the prepared CGT powder was combined with polycaprolactone (PCL) to form pellets, and then using the compressing moulding, the pellets were transformed into bio-plastic composite films. Hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used as a plasticiser in the mixture and its impact on the biodegradation rate was analysed. The morphology of CGT bio-plastic composite films showed even distribution of CGT powder within the PCL matrix. The CGT incorporation improved the UV resistance, thermal stability, and Young's modulus of PCL material. Further, the flexibility and mixing properties of the composites were improved by PEG. Overall, this study demonstrated a sustainable production method of CGT bio-plastic films using the whole CGT and without any waste residue produced, where the degradation of the produced composite films can be adjusted to minimise the environmental impact.

Bioplastic film making properties of quality protein maize (QPM) zein

AbstractBackground and ObjectiveQuality protein maize (QPM) has abundant γ‐zein, which crosslinks itself and other zeins through disulfide bonding. The work aims to develop zein bioplastics with better functionality by using QPM zein. Physical properties of cast QPM zein films from QPM maize were compared with zein films from regular maize types and commercial zein, all without added plasticizers.FindingsQPM zein contained 3.8% cysteine compared with 1.8%–2.7% in regular maize zeins and 1% in commercial zein and the QPM zein had a much higher proportion of γ‐zein. QPM zein films cast from glacial acetic acid (GAA) were opaque but absorbed the least liquid (≈16%) and swelled less (≈11%) after buffer immersion than the other zein films and aqueous ethanol‐cast films. Notably, the GAA‐cast QPM zein films became highly flexible after ambient storage, whereas the other zein films remained brittle.ConclusionsThe low buffer uptake and swelling of QPM zein films is attributed to crosslinking involving the cysteine‐rich γ‐zein polypeptides. Their flexibility is attributed to better solubilization of the zein in GAA and water molecules bound to the γ‐zein polypeptides acting as a plasticizer.Significance and NoveltyQPM zein can enable the formation of flexible zein bioplastics without added plasticizers.

Synthesis and characterization of chitosan/cellulose blend reinforced with copper oxide nanoparticles as moisture barrier film

Bio-based plastics emerged as eco-friendly and resource-efficient substitutes for petroleum-based counterparts. Despite the continuous efforts to develop these alternatives, their inferior performance, most notably mechanical and moisture barrier aspects, limits their application. Material hybridization, like polymer blending and nanocomposite technology, are among the methods employed to improve the properties of bioplastics. This present work focuses on synthesizing bioplastic films with 30/70, 50/50, and 70/30 chitosan to cellulose (CH/CE) percent weight ratios. FTIR analysis of the blend films revealed interaction between NH2 and OH, confirming the compatibility between chitosan and cellulose. Analysis of variance showed increasing cellulose content significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced the resistance to swelling. The 30/70-CH/CE film exhibited the least swelling, which is 65.5% lower than the pure chitosan film. Moreover, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) were prepared as reinforcement due to its hydrophobicity. Structural and morphological analyses of hydrothermally synthesized CuO nanoparticles confirmed monoclinic and urchin-like structure. Varying amounts of CuO NPs, i.e., 1%, 3%, and 5% w/v were added to the 30/70-CH/CE films to further enhance the moisture barrier properties. The best barrier performance was attained at 5% w/v, indicated by the smallest % swelling (93.25%) and largest contact angle measurement (89.32°). This could be related to the morphological change from fibrous to smoother film surface with increasing amount of CuO NPs. Results suggest the potential of the chitosan/cellulose polymer blend and the copper oxide nanoparticle-reinforced films for moisture barrier applications.

Toughening mechanism of thermoplastic starch nano-biocomposite with the hybrid of nanocellulose/nanobentonite

High flexibility and toughness are key criteria for an effective bioplastic packaging film. However, in most studies, the flexibility of thermoplastic starch (TPS) films is always neglected when targeting their tensile strength improvement. Low film flexibility has limited the development of TPS films in replacing the petrochemical-based plastic packaging films. In this communication, we report a method to produce thermoplastic corn starch (TPCS) films with excellent mechanical strength, high flexibility and high toughness through the hybridization of two natural nanofillers: nanobentonite and nanocellulose. The synergistic effect of the hybrid nanofillers can be observed through the arrangement of alternating nacre structures where the nanobentonite silicate layers are responsible for mechanical strength, while the nanocellulose promotes free volume in the TPCS matrix and triggers high film elongation at break. Structural, morphological, and thermomechanical analysis were conducted, and the detailed strengthening mechanism of the TPCS hybrid nano-biocomposite films was revealed.

Studies on characterization of blue emissive chitosan/carbazolyl biphenyl (CRB) composite films and their gamma ray irradiation mediated fluorescence quenching phenomenon

Herein, 4,4′-bis(9H-carbazol-9-yl) biphenyl (CRB) a known PhOLED was incorporated into bioplastic chitosan films (CHCRB) resulted in blue emissive composite films with high efficiency. This work presents the interesting change in optical properties of chitosan/CRB composite films wherein an insulator material has been converted into organic semiconductor material. The doping with CRB converted the non-emissive chitosan films as excellent deep blue light emissive materials which is of prime requirement for white LED. Upon irradiation, with gamma ray (15, 25, 45 kGy), the structural and morphological changes occurred in the fabricated films evidenced by analytical, spectroscopic and mechanical studies. The chitosan films exhibited UV absorption at λmax 301 nm (UVB) for unirradiated and broad absorption band at λmax 325 nm (UVA) for irradiated CHCRB films with energy band gap ranging from 2.83 to 2.03eV. Though the unirradiated films showed high intensity deep blue emission at λmax 392 nm with QY of 35.15%, photoluminescence intensity, decreased gradually to QY of 25.26% upon gamma ray irradiation in a dose dependent manner at λmax 392 nm.The quenching of fluorescence could be attributed to the photo induced electron transfer from chitosan to CRB under high energy irradiation. Spectroscopic evidences indicated by the appearance of a new absorption band in FTIR spectra at 1228 cm−1 and a peak at 401.7eV in XPS owing to the formation of quaternary nitrogen on CRB upon electron transfer. Also, colour measurement from CIE diagram indicated the material could also be used as blue emissive material in the devices. Hence, environmentally benign bioplastic films were prepared by simple technique which exhibited both UV absorbing and blue light emissive properties. This work proposes a way to make novel emissive bioplastic films which will be useful for optoelectronic as well as sensing applications.

Assessment and Optimization of Thermal Stability and Water Absorption of Loading Snail Shell Nanoparticles and Sugarcane Bagasse Cellulose Fibers on Polylactic Acid Bioplastic Films.

The optimization and modeling of the parameters, the concentration of polylactic acid (PLA), sugarcane bagasse cellulose fibers (SBCF), and snail shell nanoparticles (SSNP), were investigated for the development of bioplastic films. With the aid of the Box-Behnken experimental design, response surface methodology was used to assess the consequence of the parameters on the water absorption and thermal stability of fabricated bioplastic films. Varied water absorption and thermal stability with different component loading were obtained, evidencing the loading effect of snail shell nanoparticles and sugar bagasse cellulose fibers on bioplastic film's water absorption and thermal stability. The quadratic polynomial model experiment data offered a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.8422 for water absorption and 0.8318 for thermal stability, verifying the models' fitness to develop optimal concentration. The predicted optimal parameters were polylactic acid (99.815%), sugarcane bagasse cellulose fibers (0.036%), and snail shell nanoparticles (0.634%). The bioplastic developed with optimized concentrations of each component exhibited water absorption and thermal stability of 0.45% and 259.7 °C, respectively. The FTIR curves of bioplastic films show oxygen stretching in-plane carbon and single-bonded hydroxyl bending in the carboxylic acids functional group. SEM and TEM images of the bioplastic showed dispersion of the nanoparticles in the matrix, where SSNP is more visible than SBCF, which may be due to the lesser loading of SBCF. The improved properties suggest an optimum concentration of naturally sourced resources for developing bioplastic, which may be used for food and drug packaging for delivery.

Strong and Sustainable Supramolecular Nanofiber Assembling in Acoustic Flow Field

AbstractHierarchical assembly of polysaccharides into nanofiber is at the core of generating advanced biomimetic nanomaterials. However, the artificial synthesis of supramolecular nanofiber from polysaccharides remains an open challenge due to their complicated structure, irregular, and strong interaction. Herein, by mimicking the assembly of natural macromolecules in an out‐of‐equilibrium state, supramolecular nanofiber is successfully fabricated from natural polysaccharides through regular and strong interaction, and a high‐energy and oriented flow field. The high energy of ultrasound can surmount the energy landscape of dynamically stable electrostatic interaction among polysaccharides, while the acoustic‐oriented streaming overcomes the disordered arrangement of macromolecules, thus inducing the orderly arrangement of polysaccharide chains to form kinetically stable nanofibers. The kinetically trapped assembly and the resulting structural evolution can be monitored by scattering and imaging experiments, while the microscopic mechanism can be confirmed by theoretical simulation. Mechanically strong, water‐resistant, and humidity stimulus‐responsive bioplastic film can be fabricated from the supramolecular nanofibers. The discoveries provide critical insights into the assembly of polysaccharides into supramolecular nanofibers and open up many possibilities to prepare advanced nanomaterials from natural polysaccharides.

A pectocellulosic bioplastic from fruit processing waste: robust, biodegradable, and recyclable

Recyclable and biodegradable bioplastics made from biomass resources are urgently needed to combat the massive amount plastic packaging waste generated by the food sector. Herein, a novel “top-down” strategy is demonstrated for obtaining high-performance pectocellulosic bioplastics from fruit processing waste, specifically citrus peels rich in pectin and cellulose. The pectin, cellulose and lignin in citrus peels were separated, then the pectin and cellulose components recombined to form a pectin-cellulose film-forming slurry for casting into films. After the cast films had dried, they were then immersed in a CaCl2 solution to crosslink the pectin chains. The obtained pectocellulosic bioplastic films possessed a dense lamellae structure due to inter/intra-molecular entanglement between the cross-liked pectin and cellulose micro/nanofibers, offering excellent mechanical properties, easy recycling and rapid biodegradation. Additionally, this pectocellulosic bioplastic exhibited excellent water stability, water vapor barrier properties, and antioxidant activity. Importantly, the same protocol was applicable for the manufacture of bioplastics from other pectin- and cellulose-rich biomass raw materials (such as watermelon rind, pineapple rind and cantaloupe rind). From both an ecological and economic viewpoint, this biomass-derived bioplastics synthesized in this work offer potential as substitutes for petrochemical-derived plastics in many fields, especially active food packaging.

Life Cycle Assessment of pilot scale production of seaweed-based bioplastic

The use of seaweed as a bioresource for plastic production is gaining momentum. However, the environmental impacts of the production of this novel bioplastic are still unknown. In this research, we assess the environmental impacts of the production of a bioplastic film at an experimental pilot scale using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The system boundaries chosen for this analysis include seaweed cultivation accounting for its carbon uptake, alginate extraction, production of bioplastic film at the pilot scale and different end-of-life pathways. The recirculation of different seaweed co-products from the alginate extraction step into the bioplastic film production is also assessed using scenario modelling and the analysis is completed with a carbon balance and an uncertainty analysis. The results show the main hotspot at the pilot scale is the last step in the production, film fabrication, mainly due to the glycerol in this process. The results also vary significantly depending on the end-of-life of the bioplastic, composting reduces the impacts by 30 % compared to incineration.

ACS reports starchy bioplastic to fix soggy paper straws, PFAS found in toilet paper, a polymer additive derived from β-carotene, and an additive to destroy PFAS

On March 6, ACS reports on a new type of bioplastic film from all-natural, degradable materials that can be rolled into a straw that is claimed to be stronger than plastic and that reportedly doesn't get soggy.

Development and characterization of natural sourced bioplastic for food packaging applications

Climate change and increased pollution caused by traditional petrochemical plastics made the biodegradable environment-friendly plastic (bioplastic) research more popular. Bioplastics can be manufactured from natural renewable ingredients and used as food packaging material without harming the environment. This research work focuses on developing bioplastic films from natural ingredients such as starch of tamarind seeds, and berry seeds, with licorice root. Attention has been paid to characterizing the material by biodegradability, mechanical testing, Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), antimicrobial analysis tests. Phenolic compounds present in the berry seeds starch increased the soil biodegradability as well as the mechanical and thermal properties of the bioplastic films. The FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of various bio-molecules. Improved antimicrobial performance is also obtained. The results of this research confirm that the prepared bioplastic samples can be used in packaging applications.

Microcellulose from Betel Husk Fiber as Filler in Bioplastic

Betel nut husk fiber has a reasonably high cellulose content. Meanwhile, bioplastics nowadays are mostly made of Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA), with one of its limitations being tensile strength and other properties regarding mechanical. Thus, this study aims to isolate microcellulose from areca nut fiber and use the fiber as a filler in bioplastic, where cellulose is combined with PVA. The intention is to understand the effect of adding microcellulose from betel nut fibers on the properties, including the biodegradability of PVA-based bioplastic films. This research has three steps: isolating cellulose from betel nut peel fibers by delignification, pulping, and bleaching. The next step is hydrolysis to obtain microcellulose. The last is the preparation of bioplastic films using the solution casting method, with five different ratios of microcellulose content in the bioplastic. The cellulose characterization from FTIR spectra shows the absorption of several peaks, such as O-H, C-H, and C-O functional groups. The mechanical testing results on the variation of bioplastic show that the bioplastic with the best characteristics was PL5, which has the highest microcellulose content, 8 MPa and 10.2% for tensile strength and elongation, respectively. The biodegradation test for bioplastic variation (PL5) was 82% within eight weeks, while in Indonesian National Standard (SNI) number 7188.7:2016, it is 100% within 60 days.

Treatment of food waste contaminated by bioplastics using BSF larvae: Impact and fate of starch-based bioplastic films

The use of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae in the treatment of biowaste, including food waste, represents a promising new (waste) treatment option. In line with an increasing use of starch-based bioplastics in food packaging, (e.g. shopper films), food waste contamination by these polymers is expected to rise, but the fate of these materials and impact produced on the BSF treatment process remain to be clarified. In the present study, food waste contaminated by starch-based bioplastic film was treated using a BSF larvae process with the aim of investigating both the effect of bioplastics on process performance and the effect of BSF larvae on bioplastic degradation. Larvae treatment performance was assessed by monitoring substrate degradation process and larvae growth in terms of weight variation and development time. Bioplastic degradation (both in the larvae process and in a larvae-free control test) was assessed by means of visual inspection, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and ThermoGravimetric Analysis (TGA). The results obtained highlighted the absence of negative impacts of bioplastics on the BSF process, revealing a modestly higher degree of degradation in the larvae process compared to control test. The process however failed to achieve complete degradation of bioplastics, suggesting the need for additional post-processing treatments.

Biodegradable, UV absorber and thermal stable bioplastic films from waxy corn starch/polyvinyl alcohol blends

AbstractChemically modified waxy corn starch is a promising material for biodegradable bioplastic synthesis. This work is to study the film performance and microbial enzymatic biodegradation of the film made from chemically modified waxy corn starch according to the effect of pre-gelatinization and cardanol oil with various ratios as a mixed plasticizer with sorbitol. The preparation of biodegradable bioplastic films from waxy maize acetylated di-starch adipate (WADA) and waxy maize pregelatinized acetylated di-starch adipate (PWADA) blended with polyvinyl alcohol polymer using sorbitol and cardanol oil mixture as plasticizers were performed. Characterization of biodegradability by enzymes mixture of (alpha-amylase and glucoamylase) and soil burial test. The weight loss reached 96% and the degradation percentage reached 95.5% of PWADA and these results were significantly (p &lt; 0.05) lower than WADA; as proved by high-performance liquid chromatography, increasing osmolality is evidence of the degradation as measured by the osmometer and the physical appearance of the film indicated complete degradation after 21 days. The film morphology, chemical structure, crystallinity, transparency, and thermal stability were studied using a scanning electron microscope, Fourier-transformed infrared, X-ray diffraction, UV–Vis spectrophotometer, and thermal gravimetric analysis. As a result, under the electron microscope, PWADA films had a more homogenous surface. The films’ infra-red spectra showed similar patterns, indicating identical chemical structures. Waxy maize starch has an A-type crystalline structure and after the thermoplasticization, the X-ray diffractogram showed new peaks appeared at 2θ of 13.2°, 19.5°, and 20.8°, which attributed to a V-type crystal pattern. The addition of cardanol oil restricts the transmission of light in the UV region by 250 nm by 69 and 63.4%, respectively, indicating UV absorber films. Furthermore, adding oil to (PWADA) and (WADA) films increased onset deterioration from 272 to 318 °C and from 317 to 320 °C, indicating that their thermal stability is improved. The water uptake rate and water vapor permeability increase after the pre-gelatinization of WADA films without cardanol but slightly decrease after the addition of cardanol oil. Also, pre-gelatinization decreases the elongation by 33.3% while increasing the strength by 10.5% of the films. Hence, waxy-modified maize starch film has the potential to be a biodegradable, thermal stable, and UV absorber film in packaging material.