STUDIES ON CHENOPODIUM-QUINOA AND AMARANTHUS-PANICULATAS STARCH AS BIODEGRADABLE FILLERS IN LDPE FILMS

Starches from newer food sources such as Amaranthus paniculatas and Ch enopodium guinea were studied for their possible role as biodegradable fillers in low density polyethylene (LDPE) films. Such starches have a unique feature of having an extremely small granule size(<1 micron), which helps in better dispersion in polymeric films. In countries, wh ere polymers are expensive, these starches could be used as inexpensiv e Fillers. The effect of incorporating 3-15% corn starch, Amaranthus p aniculatas and Chenopodium guinea starch on the mechanical properties of the LDPE films was evaluated. The torque for blending of starches a nd LDPE was in general lower than that for LDPE alone. Incorporation o f all the three starches decreased the tensile strength. Maximum decre ase was observed with corn starch, and minimum decrease with Chenopodi um quinoa and Amaranthus paniculatas was in between. Copyright (C) 199 6 Elsevier Science Ltd.