Biodegradable polyethylene composition chemically bonded with starch and a process for preparing thereof

TLDR: In this paper, a biodegradable film prepared by chemical bonding of starch and polyethylene chains using polyolefin having the most widest general application, coupling agent such as maleic anhydride, methacrylic anhydrides, or maleimide, and acid catalytic comonomer like acrylic acid and/or methacric acid and to a process for preparing thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a biodegradable film prepared by chemical bonding of starch and polyethylene chains using polyethylene, which is polyolefin having the most widest general application, coupling agent such as maleic anhydride, methacrylic anhydride or maleimide which bonds with starch and polyethylene, and acid catalytic comonomer like acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid and to a process for preparing thereof. The present invention was accomplished varying coupling agent such as maleic anhydride, methacrylic anhydride or maleimide at an amount of 0.01-10 weight %, acid catalytic comonomer such as acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid at an amount of 0.01-10 weight % and radical initiator at an amount of 0.01 1.0 weight % based on the amount of polyethylene, and the reactive extrusion was appelied to lower the production cost by process simplification. There was no difference in tensile strength and tensile elongation of the prepared biodegradable films comprising up to 20 wt. % of starch in comparison with the base resin by Instron measurement. The facts that ester bond showing chemical bonding between starch and matrix resin was found on the infrared absorption spectrum and the phenomenons that the boundary between matrix resin and starch particle is unclear, and the starch particle is cross-sectionally cut are shown on the cross-section of films with scanning electron microscope approving chemical bonding between starch and matrix. The biodegradability was the most excellent with more than 10 wt. % of starch.