Thermoplastic starches: Properties, challenges, and prospects

Abstract

Thermoplastic starch (TPS) polymers were reviewed in this article. This review was categorized into the following studies: the role of starch as a thermoplastic polymer, transformation and melting mechanisms, plasticization and plasticizers, reactive extrusion (REX) and modifications, retrogradation, biodegradability, filler and blenders, and nano-particle incorporation in thermoplastic starch. This categorization allows us to understand the developments in this field in recent years and shows that the major challenges in the future are reducing sensitivity to moisture and retarding retrogradation of the thermoplastic matrix. Moreover, nano-particles such as clay can be used in TPS matrices to overcome these disadvantages. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.