ABSTRACT Increasing environmental concerns regarding conventional plastics have encouraged the growth of research and development of sustainable solutions. This study focused on the development and analysis of composite films, using starch as the matrix and integrating gelatin, zinc, and calcium carbonate as fillers. Gelatin‐based composite films (GCF), zinc‐based composite films (ZCF), and calcium carbonate‐based composite films (CCF) were prepared and evaluated for their mechanical, thermal, structural, biodegradation, and antimicrobial properties. The incorporation of fillers significantly improved thermal stability, mechanical durability, and biodegradation properties of composite films. The highest tensile strength was observed in CCF (38.05 MPa), while GCF showed maximum elongation at break (36%), indicating enhancing flexibility. Thermal analysis (TGA and DSC) demonstrated that CCF exhibited enhanced thermal stability, characterized by delayed degradation behavior and an increased residual mass. FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of intermolecular interactions and hydrogen bonding between starch and fillers, as indicated by alterations in the characteristic function group shifts. Among the composite films analyzed, ZCF exhibited stronger antimicrobial activity against bacterial strains. Biodegradable analysis confirm that all composite films remain environmentally degradable. These findings indicate that starch composite films with fillers are mechanically robust, thermally stable, antimicrobial, and biodegradable, suitable for food and medical packaging.
Thakkar et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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