Mechanical properties of pea starch films associated with xanthan gum and glycerol

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the addition of xanthan gum and glycerol to the starch of green pea with high content of AM (cv. Utrillo) in the preparation of films and their physical characteristics. Filmogenic solution (FS) with different levels of pea starch (3, 4, and 5%), xanthan gum (0, 0.05, and 0.1%), and glycerol (glycerol–starch ratio of 1:5 w/w) were studied. The FS was obtained by boiling (5 min), followed by autoclaving for 1 h at 120°C. The films were prepared by casting. Films prepared only with pea starch were mechanically resistant when compared to other films, prepared with corn, cassava, rice, and even other pea cultivars (yellow, commercial). The tensile strength of these films is comparable to synthetic films prepared with high‐density polyethylene and linear low‐density polyethylene. However, they are films of low elasticity when compared to other films, such as rice starch films, and especially when compared to polyethylene films. The increased concentration of starch in the solution increased the puncture force. The increased concentration of glycerol slightly decreased the film crystallinity and interfered in the mechanical properties of the films, causing reduction of the maximum values of tensile strength, strain at break, and puncture force. The plasticizer also caused an increase of elongation at break. Xanthan gum was important to formation of films; however, it did not affect their mechanical properties.     

Obtention and characterization of poly(3-hydroxybutyricacid-co-hydroxyvaleric acid)/mcl-PHA based blends

The aim of this work was to evaluate the physical–chemical properties of blends of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and a medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (LA). Blends were obtained by casting film-solution on leveled trays. Morphological analysis showed compatibility between the two polymers up to 5 g/100 g of LA polymer was added and phase separation in the polymeric system for compositions containing more than 5 g/100 g of LA polymer. TGA data and glass transition temperatures revealed some compatibility of the polymers. Moreover, there is a significant decrease of melting temperature and elasticity modulus for PHBV–LA blends with composition. Films containing 5 g/100 g of LA polymer showed an improvement of 50% in elongation to break (SB) when compared with pure PHBV. For other samples the SB decreased most likely due to the lack of adhesion between the two polymeric phases.     

Edible films made from blends of manioc starch and gelatin – Influence of different types of plasticizer and different levels of macromolecules on their properties

The interest in the development of edible and biodegradable films has increased because it is every day more evident that non-degradable materials are doing much damage to the environment. In this research, bioplastics were based on blends of manioc starch (native and modified) and gelatin in different proportions, added of glycerol or sorbitol, which were used as plasticizers. The objective was to study the effect of two different plasticizers, glycerol and sorbitol, and different concentrations of starch and gelatin on the barrier (water vapor permeability – WVP), mechanical (tensile strength and elongation at break), physicochemical (solubility in water and in acid) and physical properties (opacity and thickness) of the obtained bioplastics samples. As a result, all of them showed transparency and resistance to tensile strength, as well as increasing in thickness values and in the WVP, as the gelatin content increased in the formulations. Finally, all results for tensile strength and elongation at break obtained for those samples plasticized with sorbitol were better than those plasticized with glycerol.     

Effects of chemical reaction and thermal radiation on MHD free convective flow of micro polar fluid past an infinite moving vertical porous plate with viscous dissipation

This article discusses the impact of chemical reaction and radiation on an unstable two-dimensional laminar flow around a viscous fluid over a semi-infinite, vertical absorbent surface that moves progressively. The governing classification of partial differentiation was converted into an ordinary differentiation system in this case. To get numerical solutions, the Galerkin finite element technique is applied to nondimensional velocity, micro-rotation, temperature, and concentration profiles. The consequences of skin friction, the combined pressure quantity, the mass, and heat assignments at the boundary are formed using different fluid properties and flow conditions. Physical quantities and their effects Graphs depict the radiation parameter R, thermal conductivity k, Eckert number Ec, and other velocities, micro-rotation, temperature, and concentration factors. The main findings of this current problem is showing the chemical reaction effects on velocity and concentration. It is observed that both the velocity and concentration of the fluid decrease when Kr increases.