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Updated: Nov 5, 2025
Twin-Screw Extrusion Process to Produce Renewable Fiberboards
Published on: January 27, 2021
Processing and characterization of thermoplastic corn starch-based film/paper composites containing microcrystalline
Jie Chen1, Zhu Long2, Chang Dou3
1College of Environmental Engineering, Wuxi University, Wuxi, China.
Background:
Different thermoplastic starch (TPS) films were prepared with or without the addition of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) obtained via the melt-extrusion method, and then the hot-press method was used to produce environmentally friendly TPS-based film/paper composites to replace petroleum-based materials.
Results:
The paper-plastic composites exhibited good interfacial adhesion from the scannign elctron microscopy images. It was seen that 5 wt.% MCC was added to reinforce the mechanical properties of TPS films, such that it also improved the barrier properties of MCC@TPS/paper composites and extended the path of water vapor through TPS films, which decreased the water vapor transmission rate of MCC@TPS/paper composites. TPS/paper composites and MCC@TPS/paper composites have better physical properties (i.e. smoothness, flexibility and folding resistance) than only paper. In particular, it was found that the water contact angle of MCC@TPS/paper composites and TPS/paper composites were higher than single-layer paper. Furthermore, MCC reinforced paper-plastic composites demonstrated good barrier properties which can meet the requirement of the need for lower water sensitive materials in the food packaging industry.
Conclusion:
Thermoplastic corn starch-based film/paper composites have good application properties as a potential source of bioplastic materials. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
