Environmentally sound blends and composites based on water-soluble polymermatrices

The realization of plastic items intended to not constitute an environmenta l burden once they become waste or simply post-consume products represents the main goal of a research project focused on the utilization of water-sol uble synthetic polymer, e.g. poly(vinyl alcohol), and natural raw materials for the preparation of cast films and composites. A series of plastic shee ts and films were obtained from water solution and dispersion of poly(vinyl alcohol) and waste gelatin, as well as from blends of the vinyl polymer wi th lignocellulosic materials such as sugar cane bagasse. Thermal properties of the films, as well as their biodegradation behavior under different inc ubation conditions, and in particular under soil burial conditions, were in vestigated with the aim of identifying the compositions best suited to obta in films and composites suitable for agricultural applications.