ACCELERATED AND ENVIRONMENTAL WEATHERING STUDIES ON POLYETHYLENE-STARCH BLEND FILMS

Biodegradable polymers are desirable for a variety of applications, su ch as in packaging, agriculture, and medicine. Polyethylene (PE) blend ed with starch is already found to be a potential candidate to replace nondegradable thermoplastics in the areas of packaging. Films of poly ethylene (PE)-starch blends with and without vegetable oil as a compat ibilizer were prepared. The degradation of the films under thermooxida tive treatment, ultraviolet light exposure, high temperature, high hum idity, and natural ambience (soil burial) were monitored. It is seen t hat vegetable oil as an additive has a dual role: as a plasticizer, it improves the film quality; as a prooxidant, it accelerates degradatio n of the film. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.