Preparation and Characterization of Corn Starch-Nanodiamond Composite Films

Starch-based nanocomposite films were fabricated by the incorporation of different amounts of nanodiamond (ND) particles. These films were characterized by SEM, FT-IR, TGA, tensile testing and water vapor permeability measurement. It was observed that at low loadings, ND dispersed well in starch matrix. However, as the loading amount increased, aggregates as large as several micrometers appeared. The physical blending of ND with starch didn't change the thermal degradation mechanisms of starch films, only increased the char residues. As the ND loading increased, the tensile strength of composite films increased but the elongation at break decreased. However, the water vapor permeability increased as the loading of ND increased due to the increased microspores in films With further modifications, ND may be considered as a novel of biocompatible nanofillers for reinforcement of biopolymers for food packaging applications.