Preparation of thermoplastic starch/polyolefin blends for agricultural applications and investigation of biodegradability properties

Biodegradable products are considered promising solution in minimizing waste and environmental issues brought on by the usage of synthetic polymers because they do not pollute the environment as they degrade in nature. The manufacturing of biodegradable products from thermoplastic starch (TPS) stands out thanks to the low cost and simplicity of obtaining. The preparation of polymeric blends is frequently used to improve the low mechanical and physical properties of products obtained from biodegradable polymers. Recently, studies on the effects and control of the morphology of polymeric blends on performance parameters are becoming more and more important. Our research aims to prepare and characterize TPS-based polymeric blends with co-continuous phase morphology, a potential solution nowadays. For this purpose, firstly, thermoplastic starch (TPS) samples were prepared by melt processing method using natural corn starch and different types and amounts of plasticizers. TPS samples were examined in terms of morphological, rheological, and thermal properties. The optimal TPS samples were chosen in light of the results to get the co-continuous morphology in the polymer blends to be prepared with polyethylene (PE). Melt processing was used to create TPS/PE based polymer blends with various compositions using the chosen TPS and PE samples. Prepared TPS/PE based polymer blends were examined in terms of mechanical, rheological, morphological, and thermal properties, and the most suitable methods and parameters were determined for the preparation of samples with high TPS composition and co-continuous phase morphology. The biodegradable characteristics of TPS/PE based polymer combinations were also identified.