Biodegradability assessment of starch/glycerol foam and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)/starch film by respirometric tests

Abstract

The objectives of this work were to determine the biodegradability of starch/glycerol foam and of poly(butylene-adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/starch film using respirometric methods and also to compare these results with conventional polymers – expanded polystyrene and low-density polyethylene. A matured organic compost was utilized as inoculum and sucrose was used as positive reference material. Biodegradation efficiencies (BE) after 47 days were: 35% for sucrose; 34% for starch/glycerol; and 38% for PBAT/starch. Starch/glycerol and PBAT/starch presented BE statistically equal to sucrose, whilst both the conventional packaging used were not degraded (p> 0.05). Infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyses showed that the microbiota rather degraded the starch over the PBAT in the PBAT/starch blend, and also that some starch remained intact in the internal polymeric matrix. This study verified that starch/glycerol foam and PBAT/starch film are highly biodegradable materials and may then be used to enhance the biodegradability of some products such as disposable trays and supermarket bags.

Use of Compression Molding for the Production of Ternary Films Based on Poly (Lactic Acid), Montmorillonite, and Oregano Essential Oil

“…Current scientific research focuses on producing sustainable packaging materials based on polymers from renewable sources, considering consumer health concerns and recurring environmental issues [20,21]. Typically, biodegradable polymers consist of aliphatic and aromatic polyesters, demonstrating exponential growth in several increasingly sustainable applications [22].…”

Ecological trays based on banana (Musa paradisiaca) and achira (Canna indica) leaf blades: Physical, mechanical and chemical characteristics

“…The demand for plastic polymers is increasing, being present in the composition of a great variety of manufactured products (Junior et al, 2020); Due to COVID-19, its demand has had a significant growth in businesses and homes. When disposing of these products (nonbiodegradable waste) they end up in sanitary landfills where if they are not given any reuse treatment, they can cause contamination of the soil and the environment.…”

“…But it also has an additional impact because most of these derivatives come from oil, whose extraction and refining processes cause severe environmental impacts (Bourgeois & Llodra, 2009;Lagarón et al, 2016;Razza et al, 2015). For this reason, it is important to develop sustainable, bio-based containers with properties similar to conventional polymers (Junior et al, 2020) to replace commercial EPS foams and thus be able to minimize the negative impact generated by their use. Researchers have shown enormous interest in developing biodegradable products that have characteristics similar to polystyrene plastics, using natural polymers such as starch and fibrous inputs in order to generate single-use packaging for food, achieving positive results.…”