Thermoplastic starch composites with TiO2particles: Preparation, morphology, rheology and mechanical properties.
Composites of thermoplastic starch (TPS) with titanium dioxide particles (mTiO2; average size 0.1μm) with very homogeneous matrix and well-dispersed filler were prepared by a two-step method, including solution casting (SC) followed by melt mixing (MM). Light and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that only the two-step procedure (SC+MM) resulted in ideally homogeneous TPS/mTiO2systems. The composites prepared by single-step MM contained non-plasticized starch granules and the composites prepared by single-step SC suffered from mTiO2agglomeration. Dynamic mechanical measurements showed an increase modulus with increasing filler concentration. In TPS containing 3wt.% of mTiO2the stiffness was enhanced by >40%. Further experiments revealed that the recommended addition of chitosan or the exchange of mTiO2for anisometric titanate nanotubes with high aspect ratio did not improve the properties of the composites.
Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic. Electronic address: ostafinska@imc.cas.cz.
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Ostafińska
Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
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Mikešová
Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
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Krejčíková
Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
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Nevoralová
Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
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Šturcová
Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
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Zhigunov
Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
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Michálková
Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
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Šlouf
D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D010969:Plastics / Q000737:chemistry*; D012212:Rheology; D013213:Starch / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
D010969:Plastics; C009495:titanium dioxide; D013213:Starch; D014025:Titanium
Morphology; Thermoplastic starch; Titanium dioxide particles