Green synthesis of biodegradable terpolymer modified starch nanocomposite with carbon nanoparticles for food packaging application

Abstract

As to control the increased rate of environmental pollution there is an urgent need to develop improved biodegradable materials regarding the old polymeric packaging materials. It has been done by the incorporation of carbon nanomaterials to the biodegradable starch terpolymers of acrylic acid, methyl methacrylate (MMA), acrylonitrile (AN), 2-Ethylhexyl acrylate (2-EHA), and Ethyl acrylate (EA). The starch-terpolymers were prepared through the free radical polymerization technique using AA, MMA, AN, 2-EHA, EA as monomers. Two different starch-terpolymers were further mixed with carbon nanoparticles (NPs) to form a biodegradable nanocomposite. The biodegradable starch-grafted terpolymers-carbon nanocomposites (STPC NCs) were characterized through scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimeter, and UV–Visible spectrophotometry. Further, resistivity, electrical conductivity, and biodegradability tests were performed to check its properties for packing materials. The biodegradation of SGCP-composites recorded using the soil burial method was up to 78%. Starch-terpolymers were prepared via free-radical polymerization The biodegradation capability of starch-grafted terpolymers was found to be 78% The decrease in water vapor permeability and solubility proves their utilization as food packaging material.