Potato Starch Utilization in Ecological Loose-Fill Packaging Materials—Sustainability and Characterization

Abstract

Biodegradable materials are used in the manufacture of packaging and compostable films and various types of medical products. These have demonstrated high potential in medical applications: cardiac, vascular and orthopaedic conditions in adults as well in children. In our research, the extrusion-cooking technique was used to obtain environmentally friendly loose-fill foams as packaging. Potato starch was the basic raw material. Polyvinyl alcohol was used as an additive in the amount of 1%, 2% and 3% to replace starch. The components were mixed and moistened with water to various initial moisture contents of the blend (17%, 18% and 19%). The processing of starch foams employed the TS-45 single screw extruder-cooker (Gliwice, Poland) with the L/D ratio of 12. The foams were processed with various screw speeds (100 and 130 rpm) and with two types of forming dies (circular and ring die). The extrusion-cooking process efficiency (kg h −1 ) and the energy consumption (kWh kg −1 ) during the processing were also measured. The results showed that the processing efficiency of potato starch foams varied depending on the level of polyvinyl alcohol, the shape of the forming die and the screw speed applied. The analysis of energy consumption, mechanical properties and FTIR analyses demonstrated that the type of the forming die and the initial moisture level had the most significant impact on specific energy demands during the processing of potato starch-based foams.

The Influence of Corn Straw Extrusion Pretreatment Parameters on Methane Fermentation Performance

“…Energy consumption, expressed as SME [ 28 ] (specific mechanical energy), was calculated taking into account the engine load, the extruder-cooker working parameters, and the process efficiency of each test. The following formula was used: where: SME —specific mechanical energy consumption , n —screw rotation (rpm), n m —screw rating rotation (rpm), O —engine load compared to maximum (%), P —rated power (kW), and Q —process efficiency (kg h −1 )…”

The Influence of the Pressure-Thermal Agglomeration Methods of Corn Bran on Their Selected Physicochemical Properties and Biogas Efficiency

“…These mainly come from the stretching vibrations of the ring of the main material of the samples, as well as from stretching vibrations of the C-O groups. Successive vibrations with a maximum of ~1010 and ~990 cm −1 belong to the stretching vibrations of the C-O groups [11,66]. Changes in the shape of the bands within this range can be clearly observed, with a maximum of 1010 cm −1 depending on the type of treatment (extrusion) for a given samples.…”

“…This band, according to well-known literature standards, may show noticeable shifts as the affinity of the components for the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bond structures increases, which is noticeably the case here. The next area, important from an analytical point of view and also a characteristic area, corresponds to the stretching vibrations of the C-H groups in the CH 2 and CH 3 groups in the lignocellulose structure [11,36]. The maximums of these vibrations are ~2920 and 2850 cm −1 .…”

“…Maize intended for energy purposes as a targeted crop should not have major impact on food production. This is due to the different characteristics of crops-in the food industry, starch or waxy maize varieties containing one type of starch are more acceptable [10,11]. However, the occupation of fertile land by energy crops may be controversial.…”

Development of Bacterial Cellulose Biocomposites Combined with Starch and Collagen and Evaluation of Their Properties

“…In addition to collagen, adding starch to the cellulose matrix also improves the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of the composite [ 32 ]. Starch is the second largest source of biomass worldwide, staying behind only cellulose (vegetal and bacterial), and a very important renewable resource in sustainable societies [ 40 ]. The pharmaceutical and biomedical sector has increased the use of starch in the last few decades due to different advantages including its natural and renewable source of obtaining and easy access due to the high abundance of raw material, which impacts the reduction of obtaining costs, besides its biodegradable and biocompatible nature [ 41 ].…”