Preparation and characterization of thermoplastic starch composite reinforced by plasma-treated poly (hydroxybutyrate) PHB.

The present work aims to study the effect of the addition of poly (hydroxybutyrate) PHB as reinforcement in thermoplastic cornstarch (TPS) produced by the thermal compression molding method. Initially, the physical and chemical properties of TPS with different amounts of glycerol as the plasticizer (25, 30 and 35 wt%), are evaluated. Then, the composites, including 35% glycerol and different PHB contents (10, 20 and 30 wt%), are prepared.