Development of highly-transparent protein/starch-based bioplastics

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• The plastics industry seeks cost-competitive, sustainable alternatives to petroleum-derived polymers.
• Biomass-derived materials, such as starch and albumen, present a promising renewable resource.
• Developing efficient processing methods is crucial for creating viable bioplastics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of incorporating starch (corn and potato) into albumen/glycerol formulations for bioplastic production.
• To evaluate the effects of varying starch concentrations (0-30 wt.%) and processing methods (thermo-plastic vs. thermo-mechanical) on material properties.
• To assess the potential of albumen/starch bioplastics as a biodegradable alternative for the plastics industry.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of albumen/starch-based bioplastics with varying starch content (0-30 wt.%).
• Utilized thermo-plastic and thermo-mechanical processing techniques.
• Characterization using transmittance measurements, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis (DMTA), and tensile testing.

Main Results:

• Starch concentration significantly influenced the optical and tensile properties of the bioplastics.
• Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis (DMTA) at low deformation showed minimal sensitivity to starch addition.
• Thermo-mechanical processing resulted in transparent albumen/starch materials.
• Materials processed via thermo-mechanical methods exhibited tensile strength comparable to commodity plastics at low deformation.

Conclusions:

• Albumen/starch bioplastics can be cost-effectively produced using thermo-mechanical processing.
• These bioplastics demonstrate tunable optical and mechanical properties based on starch content.
• Albumen-based biopolymers show potential as a biodegradable substitute for conventional oil-derived plastics in applications like transparent packaging.