title: Compression molding and tensile properties of thermoplastic potato starch materials.
abstract: The mechanical and melt flow properties of two thermoplastic potato starch materials with different amylose contents were evaluated. The materials were prepared by mixing starch, glycerol, and water, mainly in the weight proportions of 10:3:4.5. Compression molding was used to produce sheets/films with a thickness in the range of 0.3-1 mm. After conditioning at 53% relative humidity (RH) and 23 C, the glycerol-plasticized sheets with a higher amylose content (HAP) were stronger and stiffer than the normal thermoplastic starch (NPS) with an amylose content typical for common potato starch. The tensile modulus at 53% RH was about 160 MPa for the high-amylose material and about 120 MPa for the plasticized NPS. The strain at break was about 50% for both materials. The stress at break was substantially higher for the HAP materials than for the NPS materials, 9.8 and 4.7 MPa, respectively. Capillary viscometry at 140 C showed that the high-amylose material had a higher melt viscosity and was more shear-thinning than the NPS. Dynamic mechanical measurements indicated a broad transition temperature range for both types of starch material. The main transition peaks for glycerol-plasticized starch were located at about room temperature with the transition for the HAP material being at a somewhat higher temperature than that of the NPS material with a lower amylose content. It was also noted that the processing conditions used during the compression molding markedly affected the mechanical properties of the starch material.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials and Manufacturing Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296, Göteborg, Sweden. mats.thunwall@me.chalmers.se
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thunwall
authors.forename: Antal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boldizar
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rigdahl
mesh_terms: D000688:Amylose / Q000737:chemistry; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D005990:Glycerol / Q000737:chemistry; D006358:Hot Temperature; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D011312:Pressure; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000378:metabolism*; D013213:Starch / Q000737:chemistry*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013696:Temperature; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D014867:Water; D013213:Starch; D000688:Amylose; D005990:Glycerol