Effect of Casting Process Conditions on Mechanical Properties and Water Solubility of Films Made from Wolf Fruit and Its Optimization

• Published in: Journal of polymers and the environment Vol. 29; no. 8; pp. 2435 - 2446
• Main Authors: Louzada, Ludmilla Batista, Lopes, Amanda Tibães, Molina, Gustavo, Pelissari, Franciele Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-08-2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biodegradability; Biodegradation; Casting; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Drying; Elongation; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Flour; Fruits; Glycerol; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Materials Science; Mechanical properties; Modulus of elasticity; Optimization; Original Paper; Polymer Sciences; Process variables; Response surface methodology; Solubility; Tensile strength; Mechanical properties; Biodegradable films; Cerrado fruit; Experimental design
• ISSN: 1566-2543; 1572-8919
• DOI: 10.1007/s10924-021-02047-z

Biodegradable films based on wolf fruit flour were prepared by the casting process using glycerol as a plasticizing agent. The influence that the process conditions glycerol concentration (Cg), process temperature (Tp), and drying temperature (Td) have on the mechanical properties and water solubility of biodegradable films were analyzed using a central composite design (DCCR) 2
3
, totaling 17 trials. The results were statistically analyzed by response surface method and desirability function and the optimal process conditions of the films determined. The results revealed that process variables significantly influenced (p < 0.10) the mechanical properties (tensile strength, elongation at break, and Young's modulus) and water solubility of the films, except for the process temperature for Young's modulus. The desirability function showed that the optimum process conditions to produce wolf fruit flour-based films are Cg = 17.1 g/100 g of flour, Tp = 85 °C, and Td = 53 °C, thus proving to be an effective tool for this type of study. The films produced under these conditions had 17.7 MPa of tensile strength, 12.3% of elongation at break, 612.4 MPa of Young's modulus, and 33.2% of water solubility.