Physico-mechanical, and Biodegradation Properties of Polyethylene/Food Polysaccharide Blends

Abstract

Hydrophilic/polar and hydrophobic/non-polar materials do not blend well, which causes issues in the production of biodegradable plastic. Plasticizer (glycerol) was one of the components added to the mixture to increase compatibility between the two materials; this also made the film less brittle. The purpose of this study is to look at how different food polysaccharide contents affect the physico-mechanical, and biodegradation characteristics of novel polymeric-based bio-composite films made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and food polysaccharides. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and thermoplastic food polysaccharides were physically combined by the melt blending method, followed by injection molding, to create LDPE/thermoplastic food polysaccharide composites. The following factors, namely mechanical characteristics, water absorption, and biodegradability, were used to characterize the final materials. This study also used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to assess blend miscibility. When fillers were added to LDPE matrix, the tensile modulus increased, but the tensile strength, elongation at break, and impact strength dropped. Composites loaded with sago polysaccharide, as opposed to other polysaccharides, had superior mechanical characteristics. The miscibility of such blends depends on the types of food polysaccharides utilized, according to the SEM observations. The rate of biodegradation has a significant influence on changes in the tensile characteristics. The thermoplastic sago polysaccharide sample displayed the lowest percentage of water absorption when compared to other forms of polysaccharides, and the water absorption increased with immersion time.