Properties of baked foams based on cassava starch, sugarcane bagasse fibers and montmorillonite

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers Vol. 87; no. 2; pp. 1302 - 1310
• Main Authors: Vercelheze, Ana E.S., Fakhouri, Farayde M., Dall’Antônia, Luiz H., Urbano, Alexandre, Youssef, Elza Y., Yamashita, Fábio, Mali, Suzana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 15-01-2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: absorption; Applied sciences; baking; biodegradability; Biodegradable; Biological and medical sciences; cassava starch; Composites; Exact sciences and technology; foams; Food industries; foods; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Handling, storage, packaging, transport; mechanical properties; microstructure; montmorillonite; nanoclays; Nanocomposites; Packaging; Polymer industry, paints, wood; relative humidity; sorption isotherms; sugarcane; sugarcane bagasse; Technology of polymers; Trays; water content; Packaging; Trays; Composites; Biodegradable; Nanocomposites; Cooking; Plant fiber; Cellular plastic; Density; Sugar cane(by product); Bagasse; Water absorption; Nanocomposite; Manufacturing; Clay; Montmorillonite; Starch; Glycerol; Mechanical properties; Crystallinity; Hybrid composite; Morphology; Moisture regain; Oside polymer; Feeding tray; Kinetics; Plastics
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2011.09.016

► Biodegradable trays produced by a baking process from starch, sugarcane fibers and nanoclays. ► Good nanoclays dispersion resulting in an exfoliated structure. ► Fiber and nanoclays addition: trays with lower density and stress at break and higher strain at break. ► Trays with higher water absorption capacities. ► Further development to improve the expansion, water sorption capacity and processing times.
The objectives of this work were to develop biodegradable trays from cassava starch, sugarcane fibers and Na-montmorillonite (Na-MMT) using a baking process and to study the effects of these components on the microstructure and physicochemical and mechanical properties of the trays. All formulations resulted in well-shaped trays with densities between 0.1941 and 0.2966g/cm3. The addition of fibers and Na-MMT resulted in less dense and less rigid trays. As observed in the water sorption isotherms, the increase in the equilibrium moisture content was more pronounced when the samples were stored at RH (relative humidity) above 75%. The foams had high water absorption capacities (>50%) when immersed in water (1min). The studied processing conditions resulted in good nanoclay dispersion, leading to the formation of an exfoliated structure. The trays developed in this study represent an alternative for the packaging of foods with low water contents.