The cornstarch: poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films characterized by the alternating ratio of starch:PVA (100:0, 80:20, 60:40, 40:60, 20:80, and 0:100) and containing 30% of glycerol were prepared by solution casting. The films were irradiated with an absorbed dose of 25 kGy with gamma rays in a vacuum and with fast electrons in the air. The films characterized by a high content of starch appeared stiff, while the films characterized by a high content of PVA were highly flexible. The tensile strength and flexibility, as well as swelling and hydrophilicity, increased with the increase in the PVA content in the films. However, the tensile strength and wetting angle values achieved a minimum at an intermediate composition. It was found that irradiation enables to reduce hydrophilicity of the films accompanied by a decrease in their flexibility. No general conclusion concerning the effect of irradiation on tensile strength and swelling behavior can be derived. An increase in the homogeneity of the films and an increase in the compatibility of their components was found by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Strong interactions of the starch and the PVA components were discovered by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Degradation was found to be the prevailing process occurring in the films under the infl uence of irradiation. The possible accompanying crosslinking is discussed in terms of the gel content in the samples. Creation of various oxidation products in the films characterized by the modified composition was observed under the influence of irradiation carried out in the air. Basing on the obtained results it can be supposed that the selected starch-PVA compositions might appear useful as packagings of the products predicted for radiation decontamination.
The influence was studied of potato and wheat starch irradiation on physicochemical properties of films, prepared using either starch alone or a composition of potato starch with three surfactants: sodium laurate, sodium palmitate and cetyl-trimethyl-ammonium bromide (CTAB). The surfactants were introduced at a level of 0.038 division sign 0.075 g per 1 g of starch. This corresponds to 0.136–0.222 mmol/g, depending on the surfactant type and its amount used. Irradiations were carried out using 60Co radiation with doses of 5, 10, 20 and 30 kGy. Films were prepared with addition of glycerol (0, 20 or 30% in terms of starch mass) by means of casting from the gelatinized starch or starch-surfactant solutions. With the purpose to characterize the films, mechanical tests (using an Instron instrument) and the wetting angle measurements were performed. The effect was determined of the storage and conditioning in an atmosphere characterized by the various moisture content on the properties of films with various compositions. The results show the radiation-induced improvement of hydrophobic properties of the films prepared using potato and wheat starch, and the selected potato starch-surfactant compositions. Improvement of strength and flexibility was obtained in the case of potato starch films, while in the case of wheat starch films the increase of strength was accompanied by a decrease in flexibility. Improvement of the functional properties of potato starch films corresponds to the improvement of their structural properties, found by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The possibilities of modification of the films properties by modification of composition and radiation treatment were discussed.
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