Abstract:
Plastic has become an important part of every aspect of modern life. But
excessive and unwise use of plastic results in the deterioration of the
environment and has harmful effects on human health. To solve this problem,
there is a need to search for an alternative, such as biodegradable plastic. Polybutylene
adipate terephthalate or polybutyrate (PBAT) is a biodegradable
random copolymer with good features for packaging applications. However,
its high cost limits its current usage at the commercial level. To reduce the
cost, fillers and other additives can be used. In this study, a starch-based
biodegradable composite (for food wrapping and shopping bags) was
successfully prepared by incorporating wheat flour (WF) into the PBAT
matrix. WF and PBAT were mixed to form a uniform sheet at different
composition ratios (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% of WF) using the extrusion
method. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elongation at break,
and tear resistance were examined using a universal testing machine.
Comprehensive characterization was done including FT-IR, SEM, and particle
size distribution. Test for overall migration was done according to SLS
1718:2021 for aqueous and fatty food. According to the results obtained, the
mechanical properties of the sheets we developed, decreased with increasing
filler content, but three composites had sufficient values to be used as food
wrapping material. No heavy metals were detected from the analysis by ICPMS.
Migration test data proved that 20% WF composite was ideal for aqueous
food wrapping purposes and 30% WF composite can be used for other
packaging purposes.