You have no items in your shopping cart.
ABSTRACT
The development of biodegradable biopolymers is brought about by the rapidly growing environmental concern over the disposal of the conventional plastic packaging owing to their non-biodegradability. Again, A new generation of bioactive packaging system has emerged in response to consumer demand and health concerns, which will improve packaged goods' quality and lengthen their shelf lives by lowering the danger of harmful bacterial development. Several attempts have been made in the past to produce biodegradable plastic film especially from starch due to its promising film-forming potential. In this research, bioactive biodegradable plastic film was produced from cassava (native) and carboxylmethyl starch-based composite. The starch was blended with poly(vinylalcohol) (PVA), reinforced with kaolin clay and incorporated with lemongrass oil (LGO). The films were prepared by solution casting by dispersing starch, poly(vinylalcohol) and kaolin in water in a heated condition (80-90oC) with stirring to achieve gelatinization and homogenization of the mixture. Setting of the film shape and thickness were obtained by casting the heated homogenized mixture on a glass plate. The films were then peeled off the glass plate upon cooling and curing. The films were characterized by SEM, XRD, TGA, and their properties namely tensile mechanical testing, water vapour permeability (WVP), water vapour sorption and biodegradation test were evaluated.
