Biodegradable films improve mechanical performance in sustainable packaging, indicating promising alternatives to plastics.
Key Points
This research investigates the properties of biodegradable films made from poly(vinyl alcohol), starch, and itaconic acid for sustainable packaging applications.
Fabrication of films via solution casting using various ratios of PVA, starch, and itaconic acid.
Characterization using FTIR to confirm crosslinking.
Mechanical testing for tensile strength and elongation measurement.
Viscosity and decomposition temperature assessments.
Biodegradation analysis in soil over 30 days.
The balanced PVA/S/IA film exhibited the highest tensile strength of 10.5 ± 0.8 MPa and elongation at break of 38.9% ± 2.4%.
IA-rich films showed increased viscosity up to 3250 ± 110 cP and improved thermal stability by 15°C-20°C compared to starch-rich films.
Starch-rich films had a faster biodegradation rate, with a mass loss of 67% in 30 days versus 42% for balanced films and 28% for IA-rich films.
All films fragmented in water within 24 hours due to a crosslinked network.