Effects of selected bleaching agents on the functional and structural properties of orange albedo starch-based bioplastics

Abstract

AbstractRecent research has proven that starch offers a wide range of industrial, commercial, and utility applications if they are optimally processed and refined. In this study, the effect of hydrogen peroxide (HP), sodium persulfite, peracetic acid (PAA), and sodium perborate (SPB) bleaching agents on the physiochemical, surface, mechanical, and flow properties were investigated. The various bleached starch bioplastics were characterized using Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. Hydroxyl and carbonyl (C=O) stretching were seen for HP- and PAA-bleached starch bioplastics at 3285 and 1736 and 3265 and 1698 cm−1, respectively. The C=O band was absent for SPB-treated starch, whereas the C=S band was seen on sodium hyposulfite (SHS)-treated starch. The morphologies of starch were retained with little agglomerations, except for HP-treated starch bioplastics with a morphology change. HP-treated starch had the highest percentage crystallinity (66%) and the highest thermal stability (74% weight loss), whereas PAA-treated starch had the lowest percentage crystallinity (34%) and the lowest thermal stability (88% weight loss). HP- and SHS-bleached starch bioplastics had the best surface, mechanical, and expansion properties.