Desarrollo y caracterización de biocomposites termoplasticos obtenidos a partir de almidón de maíz plastificado con isosorbide

Abstract

The main aim of this thesis is the development of novel biodegradable and ecosustainable starch-based polymeric biocomposites for use in food packaging industry. To this end, materials consisting of corn starch plasticized with an innovative plasticizer, isosorbide, in addition to the usual glycerol, used as a comparative reference, have been developed and characterized. Two fillers were used to obtain the biocomposites: first, commercial microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), and second, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3- hydroxyvalerate) (PHBVmp) microparticles synthesized in our laboratory. The effect of the type and amount of plasticizer and the addition of filler on morphology, crystallinity, structural interactions and thermal and dynamomechanical properties of the materials was studied, as well as the water absorption resistance and biodegradability. Moreover, the appearance over time of retrogradation phenomena in the materials was evaluated. As a result, the use of isosorbide as a plasticizer prevented starch retrogradation. Furthermore, the combination of the use of isosorbide at a lower percentage (35%) and the addition of 5% filler (MCC or PHBVmp) has resulted in viable biocomposites as an alternative to petroleum-based plastics used in the food packaging industry.