Attracting Biodegradable Feature to Polypropylene (PP) Products Used in Food Packaging

Abstract

Starch-based bio nanocomposites reinforced with nanofillers exhibit enhanced biodegradability, thermal stability, mechanical strength, and suitability for sustainable food packaging applications.This study aimed to improve the biodegradability properties of polypropylene (PP) products used in food packaging. In this, a comparison was made with the products currently used and the characterization process of the newly produced product was performed and subjected to a UV aging test. It is an area where biodegradable materials can be an alternative for waste reduction in today's world and it is possible to work on it for many years. There for, the product obtained was characterized by FTIR, TGA/DTG/DTA and SEM. One year aging process was applied to the products obtained during UV aging. An alternative to the existing product was obtained by synthesizing and characterizing the new product. The degradation rate between 0 oC and 400 oC indicates the degradation percentage of starch or stearic acid. According to the findings obtained in this study, the highest 4% change in the total color change (ΔE*) was observed, in the oxo sample. The highest change was obtained in samples prepared with at ΔE* value of 6,951 in the sample numbered 1-120. The ΔE* value of 4-120 was 4.241. The biodegradable nature of commercially used PP materials ensures a shorter recycling time in nature, thus preventing the long-lasting degradation process in the natural cycle.