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Properties of fatty‐acid esters of starch
Author(s) -
Sagar Ambuj D.,
Merrill Edward W.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.1995.070580927
Subject(s) - plasticizer , starch , rheology , amylose , materials science , fatty acid , organic chemistry , chemical engineering , polymer science , polymer chemistry , chemistry , composite material , engineering
This work examines the properties of starch esters for their possible application as environmentally degradable thermoplastics. The rheological, thermal, and mechanical properties of a series of fatty‐acid esters of high‐amylose starch (as well as the effects of adding plasticizer on some selected properties) were evaluated. The ester group acts like an internal plasticizer, with an increase in the size of the fatty‐acid chain, resulting in greater internal plasticization. This is reflected in the rheological and thermal measurements as well as in the mechanical properties. Overall, larger ester groups and the addition of external plasticizer make these starch‐based materials more processable and more ductile. However, comparing their properties and cost to commodity thermoplastics leads us to believe that their commercial applications are likely to be limited, at least in the near future. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.