The discovery of the environmental impacts caused by petroleumbased polymers has led to the use of natural polymers gaining more and more space. Naturally occurring polymers, also known as biopolymers, are chemical compounds produced by living things or raw materials from renewable energy sources. Their main advantage is decomposition, while polymers from fossil and non-renewable energies can take hundreds of years to decompose, biopolymers have significantly shorter life cycles. In this study, a study of the application of the biomass of the microalgae Spirulina platensis in biodegradable films with corn starch was conducted, aiming for the development of a functional film with rapid degradability. Approximately 48 biofilms were produced in varying concentrations (w/v), where the visual characteristics of each were observed and the ones that presented the greatest resemblance to conventional plastics were selected, being Trial 4 (T4) and Trial 46 (T46), composed of 2 and 70% v/v of microalgae, respectively. The other tries were discarded due to cracking, high fragility, and very gelatinous or very rigid appearance. The morphological characteristics of T4 and T46 biofilms were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and compared to those of a conventional plastic bag and a commercially available biodegradable plastic bag, where it was possible to prove that the biofilms produced presented good morphological structure. The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis provided structural information, proving the presence of polyhydroxyalkanoate in the biofilms produced. Two degradability tests were performed with satisfactory results obtained, proving the rapid degradation of the biopolymers produced. It was possible to prove that the biofilms under study present great potential for replacing conventional polymers.
A Pitaya é um fruto de cactos epífitos do gênero Hylocereus, podendo ser encontradas mais facilmente em território brasileiro em duas diferentes espécies: Pitaya Branca (Hylocereus undatus) casca vermelha e polpa branca e a pitaya vermelha (Hylocerus Polyrhizus) e polpa vermelha. O objetivo do trabalho foi confeccionar filmes poliméricos com adição de polpa de pitaya vermelha afim de detectar possíveis propriedades da polpa que ao serem inseridas nos filmes, dê ao mesmo características relevantes para futuras confecções de embalagens ativas. Foram confeccionadas três formulações distintas: a primeira formulação contendo somente quitosana 2% (em massa); a segunda formulação contendo quitosana 2% acrescido de 1mL de polpa; a terceira formulação contendo quitosana 2%, acrescida de 5mL de polpa. Afim de realizar a caracterização das três formulações de filmes, foram realizadas as seguintes análises: Espessura, Permeabilidade ao Vapor D’água (PVA), teor de umidade e solubilidade em água. Ao final, observou-se que a adição de diferentes concentrações de polpa alterou as características dos filmes biopoliméricos.
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