N Pooja, Chakraborty Ishita, Mal Sib Sankar, Bharath Prasad Alevoor Srinivas, Mahato Krishna Kishore, Mazumder Nirmal
Department of Biophysics, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education Manipal Karnataka 576104 India
Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology Karnataka 575025 India.
RSC Adv. 2024 Jan 2;14(1):139-146. doi: 10.1039/d3ra07868j.
Thermoplastic starch (TPS), derived from renewable resources, offers advantages such as biodegradability and lower production costs compared to petroleum-based plastics. However, its limited mechanical properties pose a challenge for broader applications. This research aims to explore the potential of enhancing the mechanical and barrier properties of TPS films through the incorporation of silicon dioxide as a reinforcement filler and citric acid as a crosslinking agent. By introducing silicon dioxide as a reinforcement filler, the mechanical strength of the TPS films is expected to be improved. Additionally, the incorporation of citric acid as a crosslinking agent is anticipated to enhance the barrier properties of the films. The combination of these additives holds promise for creating TPS films with improved performance, contributing to the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly materials in various industries. The results reveal that SiO improves the stiffness of the films at lower concentrations but causes brittleness at higher concentrations. In contrast, citric acid crosslinked films exhibit improved flexibility and density. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrates the morphological changes in the films, with SiO affecting surface roughness and aggregate formation. SiO reduces film thickness and transparency, while citric acid enhances water resistance and barrier properties. X-ray diffraction analysis shows a reduction in crystallinity due to the plasticization process. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy highlights chemical changes and antimicrobial activity is observed with citric acid against specific bacteria. The soil burial test reveals that citric acid crosslinked films exhibit slower degradation due to antimicrobial properties. The combination of SiO reinforcement and citric acid crosslinking enhances the overall performance of the films, promising sustainable and environmentally friendly materials for various applications.
热塑性淀粉（TPS）源自可再生资源，与石油基塑料相比，具有生物可降解性和较低的生产成本等优势。然而，其有限的机械性能对更广泛的应用构成了挑战。本研究旨在探索通过加入二氧化硅作为增强填料和柠檬酸作为交联剂来提高TPS薄膜机械性能和阻隔性能的潜力。通过引入二氧化硅作为增强填料，预计TPS薄膜的机械强度会得到提高。此外，加入柠檬酸作为交联剂有望增强薄膜的阻隔性能。这些添加剂的组合有望制造出性能改进的TPS薄膜，为各行业开发可持续且环保的材料做出贡献。结果表明，在较低浓度下二氧化硅可提高薄膜的刚度，但在较高浓度下会导致薄膜变脆。相比之下，柠檬酸交联的薄膜表现出更好的柔韧性和密度。扫描电子显微镜显示了薄膜的形态变化，二氧化硅影响表面粗糙度和聚集体形成。二氧化硅降低了薄膜厚度和透明度，而柠檬酸增强了耐水性和阻隔性能。X射线衍射分析表明，由于塑化过程，结晶度降低。傅里叶变换红外光谱突出了化学变化，并且观察到柠檬酸对特定细菌具有抗菌活性。土壤掩埋试验表明，由于抗菌性能，柠檬酸交联的薄膜降解较慢。二氧化硅增强和柠檬酸交联的组合提高了薄膜的整体性能，有望为各种应用提供可持续且环保的材料。
