The research included corn starch (CS) films using sorbitol (S), glycerol (G), and their combination (SG) as plasticizers at 30, 45, and 60 wt %, with a traditional solution casting technique. The introduction of plasticizer to CS film-forming solutions led to solving the fragility and brittleness of CS films. The increased concentration of plasticizers contributed to an improvement in film thickness, weight, and humidity. Conversely, plasticized films reduced their density and water absorption, with increasing plasticizer concentrations. The increase in the amount of the plasticizer from 30 to 60% showed a lower impact on the moisture content and water absorption of S-plasticized films. The S30-plasticized films also showed outstanding mechanical properties with 13.62 MPa and 495.97 MPa, for tensile stress and tensile modulus, respectively. Glycerol and-sorbitol/glycerol plasticizer (G and SG) films showed higher moisture content and water absorption relative to S-plasticized films. This study has shown that the amount and type of plasticizers significantly affect the appearances, physical, morphological, and mechanical properties of the corn starch biopolymer plastic.

In this study, the effect of sugar palm nanocrystalline cellulose (SPNCC) loading (0.00-0.10 wt %) on the electrical resistance, resistivity, and conductivity of SPS/SPNCC (SPS -sugar palm starch) nanocomposite films were evaluated. The experiments were conducted using the four-probe method and Ohm's law, resistivity and conductivity equations were utilized to obtain the electrical properties. The results revealed that the resistivity values of SPS/SPNCC films were found to be in the range of 3.1 • 10 2 to 1.5 • 10 4 (Ω • cm).

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Biocomposite films were prepared using corn starch (CS), sorbitol as a plasticiser, and multi-scale kenaf fibre as reinforcing filler. The microstructure and the physical, tensile, and water barrier properties of corn starch reinforced with kenaf fibre were characterised and investigated. The biocomposite films were developed via the solution casting technique using 10 g of CS with 0 to 8% kenaf fibre as filler treated with 30% (w/w, starch basis) of sorbitol. The increased amount of kenaf fibre introduced contributed to improvements in film thickness, weight, and density. Conversely, slight reductions in the biocomposite films’ moisture content, water absorption, and solubility rating were 9.86–5.88%, 163.13–114.68%, and 38.98–25.17%, respectively. An X-ray diffraction (XRD) test revealed that the films were amorphous and that there was no effect on the crystallinity structure of films with kenaf fibre reinforcement. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and rheological analysis indicated that kenaf fibre could weaken the molecular interaction of the film matrix. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) revealed the arrangement and uniform distribution of kenaf fibre at 0.2–0.8%. The incorporation of kenaf increased the tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and elongation at break until (6% wt) of fibre. With the kenaf fibre incorporation, the optimal tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and elongation at break of the films reached 17.74 MPa, 1324.74 MPa, and 48.79%, respectively. Overall, the introduction of kenaf fibre as filler enhanced the physical and mechanical properties of CS films.

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