Bionanocomposites based on natural polymers and clays minerals as bioplastics materials

International Conference and Exhibition on Biopolymers & Bioplastics

August 10-12, 2015 San Francisco, USA

Ana C S Alc�¢ntara

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Material Sci Eng

Abstract :

Packaging films, containers, and coatings made of natural polymers such as polysaccharides (cellulose derivatives, starch, alginate…)
and proteins (collagen, gelatin, soybean protein, casein, and zein) are receiving considerable attention due to their low cost, high
biocompatibility, and biodegradability, giving rise to the so-called bio-packaging materials or bioplastics. The bionanocomposites
term is widely used to describe biohybrid materials composed of species of natural origin, mainly biopolymers, and inorganic solids
of diverse structure and morphology assembled at the nanometric scale. Bionanocomposites of particular relevance are that the
inorganic component is a silicate belonging to the clay minerals family. Natural smectites such as montmorillonite are most largely
employed to prepare clay-based nanocomposites. Recently, the involvement of clays showing non-lamellar structural arrangement
such as sepiolite and palygorskite fibrous clays, become attractive as alternative nanofillers with an increasing use in the preparation of
new bionanocomposites. The resulting bionanocomposites based on clays minerals not only exhibit improved mechanical properties,
but also a significant barrier to ultraviolet light and to the passage of water, reducing the water vapor permeability (WVP), which
make them very attractive for use in food packaging or coatings. Moreover, these films also offer interesting results for the retention
of heavy metals such as copper, chromium and lead, which together with the biocompatibility and biodegradability afforded by the
biopolymer may enlarge the scope of applications as bioplastics, for instance in the agricultural sector.