Comparative study on properties of starch films obtained from potato, corn and wheat using 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate as plasticizer

Abstract

Starch films are gaining attention as substitutes of synthetic polymers due to their biodegradability and low cost. Some ionic liquids have been postulated as alternatives to glycerol, one of the best starch plasticizers, due to their great capacity to form hydrogen bonds with starch and hence great ability of preventing starch retrogradation and increasing film stability. In this work, [emim + ][Ac-]-plasticized starch films were prepared from potato, corn and wheat starch. The effect of starch molecular structure in terms of granular composition (amylose and phosphate monoester contents) and molecular weight (Mw) on film properties was evaluated. Potato starch films were the most amorphous because of the higher Mw and phosphate monoester content of potato starch, both contributing to a lower rearrangement of the starch chains difficulting the crystallization process. In contrast, corn and wheat starches lead to more crystalline films because of their lower Mw, which may imply higher mobility and crystal growth rate, and lower phosphate monoester content. This more crystalline structure could be the responsible of their better mechanical properties. [emim + ][Ac-] can be considered suitable for manufacturing starch films showing corn and wheat starch films similar properties to synthetic low-density polyethylene, but involving a simple and environmentally-friendly process.

The Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Corn Cob Lignin-Containing Cellulose Nanofibril Reinforced Bioplastics

“…The observed functional groups con rm the characteristic of starch-based plain bioplastics, as evidenced by Patnaik, et al [29], Amin, et al [30] and Domene-López, et al [31].…”

Applications of ionic liquids in starch chemistry: a review

“…170 Additionally, ILs can act simultaneously as a plasticizer and conductive agent. 10,160,161,169,171 Recently, Zhang et al 11 found that starch could be straightforwardly processed into optically transparent electro-conductive films by compression molding in aqueous [Emim][OAc] at a relatively mild temperature (55 or 65 °C), much lower than those commonly used in biopolymer melt processing (typically over 150 °C) (Fig. 13).…”

A plant-mediated synthesis of nanostructured hydroxyapatite for biomedical applications: a review

“…A greener and more feasible way to produce a quantiable amount of HAp from Moringa leaves would be by supplementing the extracts with wastes from potatoes, almonds, and other vegetables with high phosphate content. [197][198][199] Shaltout et al analyzed the content of Catha edulis (C. edulis) by getting rid of the organic contents of the plants through a higher calcination process. The inorganic products of the leaves and stalks were identied to contain a quantiable amount of calcium hydroxyapatite aer employing characterization techniques, such as FTIR, XRD, and thermal analysis (TGA, DTG, DSC).…”