Influence of water addition on mechanical properties of thermoplastic starch foils

The aim of this paper is to study the influence of water on the mechanical properties of thermoplastic starch films. Experimental observations of Young modulus and the breaking force of thermoplastic starch foils with different percentages of polyvinyl alcohol and keratin additives and screw rotation speeds are reported. Thermoplastic starch foils are prepared by the extrusion method with the bowling from potato starch and glycerol as a plasticizer. Young modulus and the breaking force were determined by the random marker method. Measurements of Young modulus and the breaking force of the films were performed after their production and after dosing with water. It was observed that in all cases Young modulus decreases after dosing with water, but the breaking force lied in the same range. Thermoplastic starch foils produced at the screw rotation speed equal to 60 r.p.m. have the best mechanical properties. The highest value of Young modulus and the breaking force were obtained for samples with a 1% keratin additive.