Open AccessDevelopment and characterization of starch - based nanocomposite materials
Author(s) -
Maria Zoumaki,
Dimitrios Tzetzis,
Gabriel Mansour
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
iop conference series. materials science and engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1757-899X
pISSN - 1757-8981
DOI - 10.1088/1757-899x/564/1/012037
Subject(s) - plasticizer , nanocomposite , materials science , montmorillonite , environmental pollution , starch , cellulose , ultimate tensile strength , chemical engineering , composite material , chemistry , environmental science , organic chemistry , environmental protection , engineering
Nature has developed several biodegradable materials which can be used in architectural and civil engineering to address the challenges of a more sustainable construction and housing industry to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in using biodegradable polymers from renewable resources such as starch and cellulose derivatives in the global plastic industry in order to reduce the environmental pollution caused by the petroleum-based traditional synthetic plastic waste. In this study, conventional composite and nanocomposite films of plasticized corn starch were prepared with sodium montmorillonite clay by a solution mixing procedure with glycerol as a plasticizer. The obtained nanocomposite microstructures were ascertained by XRD and SEM techniques and the tensile properties were investigated as a function of clay and plasticizer contents, in order to analyze the mechanical properties of the films.