Packaging applications biodegradability

One of the first applications of biodegradable materials is based on the cooked, extruded, and expanded starch known from the food and chemical sectors (Fig. 14.23). Starch is cooked with water in the extruder and chemically modified as necessary or mixed with plasticizers, then expanded to a starch foam and dried. The extrudate is ground so that the functional properties thus created can be used in the food/chemicals sector. The foamed, cut, and dried extrudate is the end product for loose-fill packaging applications. The degree of expansion is a measure of the foam texture. It increases strongly with product temperature at the die, helped by a higher specific mechanical energy input. However, both measures increase the water-solubility of the product. 

BioBag also supplies biodegradable and compostable film products for shopping bags, food packaging applications and for packing hygiene articles. 

Arvanitoyannis, I., Biliaderis, C.G., Ogawa, H., and Kawasaki, N. (1998). Biodegradable films made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE), rice starch and potato starch for food packaging applications Part 1. Carbohydrate Polymers. 36(2-3), 89-104. 

Pea is a renewable reservoir for functional macromolecules. Pea proteins or starches can be used for packaging applications, such as films, foams and controlled release systems. The functionality of the biopolymers is influenced by technological treatments and altered by physical, enzymatic or chemical modifications. This work is aimed at obtaining detailed knowledge about the structure-property relationships of pea-based biodegradable plastics. 

When Wella marketed its biodegradable shampoos in the 1990s, they decided to make the packaging of this product biodegradable as well. These shampoo bottles were the first commercial product made from PHAs. Since then, PHAs have found their way to other packaging applications including motor oil bottles and disposable razors. 

Cadebo, L., Feijoo, J. L., Villanueva, M. R, Lagaron, J. M., Gimenez, E. Optimization of biodegradable nanocomposites based on aRLA/PCL blends for food packaging applications. Macromol. Symp., 2006, 233, 191-197. 

It is really interesting that the water vapor transmission rate is the lowest of the commonly used biodegradable polymers this characteristic is truly relevant, for example, in packaging applications. 

Arvanitoyannis, I., Nikolaou, E., and Yamamoto, N., 1994, Novel biodegradable copolyamides based on adipic acid, bis(p-aminocyclohexyl) methane and several alpha-amino acids - Synthesis, characterization and study of their degradability for food packaging applications - 4. Polymer 35 4678-4689. 

Figure 11.34 shows that the plasticizer structure arrd its amoirrrt determine biodegradation rate of the plastieized polylaetate. Figtrre 11.35 shows that plasticizer increases the degradation rate on expostrre to seawater. This is irrrportarrt for products in packaging applications developed to reduee threat to the marine life. It is estimated that about 100,000 marine animals and about 1-2 million sea birds are killed yearly by the toxic residues of a plastic litter. 

Bhatia A, Gupta RK, Bhattacharya SN, Choi HJ (2007) Compatibility of biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) blends for packaging application. Korea Aust RheolJ 19 125-131... 

A., and Ray6n, E. (2014) Ternary PLA-PHB-Limonene blends intended for biodegradable food packaging applications. Eur. Polym. J., 50, 255-270. 

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