Evaluation of Physicomechanical and Biodestructible Properties of Polyethylene-based Composite Sheets for Packaging Application

Haydar U. Zaman; Ruhul A. Khan

Abstract

Worldwide, the packaging market has seen steady growth and plastic ingredients have become distinct. Plastic is an important part of daily life and is used for a variety of purposes. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic is one of the greatest influential packaging ingredients in today's society. When polyethylene plastic products are out of use, they are thrown away like ordinary garbage. The main disadvantage is that they are not biodegradable, and attempts have been made to accelerate biodegradation. A plastic degradation system has been introduced to solve the problem of plastic disposal. An effort has been made to produce perishable plastics by adding starch to the plastic to produce perishable packaging ingredients that may be ecologically friendly. In this study, polar potato starch (PS) was physically blended with non-polar LDPE via melt compounding technique and then injection molded to form LDPE/PS composite sheets. Starch content varies from 0 to 30 wt.%. The effect of starch content and chemical treatment using sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) with additives (glycerol/urea, and epolene wax) on the properties of composites were examined. Mechanical and morphology tests of LDPE/PS composites have been performed by tensile testing machine and microscopy, respectively. Mechanical test results show that the loss of tensile strength and elongation at break of untreated and treated composites increased as the starch content increased. Water absorption (WA) of untreated and treated composites increased as the starch content and soaking time increased. Exposure to LDPE/PS composites in water and soil environments was performed to analyze the biodegradability of composites. Weight loss and loss of tensile properties have increased due to an increase in the amount of starch and exposure time in the soil and water environment, respectively. Treated PS composites also exhibit less water absorption and degradation than untreated PS plastic composites.

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