Bionanocomposite foams based on the assembly of starch and alginate with sepiolite fibrous clay.

Bionanocomposite foams based on alginate, potato starch and the microfibrous clay mineral sepiolite as reinforcing filler were prepared by lyophilization. Spectroscopic techniques were applied in order to assess the interaction mechanism established between the inorganic fibers and the polysaccharide chains, which is established between the hydroxyl groups in the polysaccharide chains and the silanol groups at the external surface of the sepiolite fibers. The textural properties studied by means of mercury intrusion porosimetry, FE-SEM and X-ray microtomography, revealed a decrease in porosity as the sepiolite content increased. Mechanical properties were also determined for the studied foams, showing an increase in compression moduli from 7.3MPa in the foam without sepiolite to 29MPa in foams containing 10% starch, 40% sepiolite and 50% alginate. Horizontal burning tests were carried out for a preliminary evaluation of the role of the inorganic fibers on the fire resistance properties of the bionanocomposite foams, revealing that bionanocomposite foams with sepiolite content >25% behave as auto-extinguishable materials. Post-synthesis cross-linking with CaCl was carried out in some of these samples, leading to an increase in the compression modulus up to 40MPa for the optimal composition.