The effect of temperature and water absorption on enzymatic degradation of starch / polyvinyl alcohol blend film by α-Amylase

Abstract

Thermoplastic starch (TPS) materials present several advantages to the plastic industry and<br />when blended with other materials they can exhibit improved mechanical and moisture<br />sensitivity properties compared to pure TPS materials. Further investigations on TPS: PVA<br />blends are of particular interest due to their excellent compatibility and improved properties such<br />as tensile strength, elongation, toughness and processability, predominantly due to an<br />improvement in melt strength compared to pure TPS material. The aims of the study were to<br />investigate the effect of varying polyvinyl alcohol content within the TPS blends on the rate and<br />extent of starch enzymatic hydrolysis using enzyme alpha-amylase. Analyses the enzymatic<br />degradation behavior of poly(vinyl alcohol) with starch was based on the determinations of<br />Weight loss and the reducing sugars. The degraded residues have been examined by FT-IR<br />spectroscopy and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM).