I need to increase the tensile strength of the potato starch polymer.
It is difficult. Starch is composed of anomers with poor inter-chain bonding- therefore the bad tensile strength.Try to mutarotate these anomers to stronger-bond form (beta-glucose) and you most likely will have polymer chain broken as well. To my opinion, you need a very selective mutarotation catalyst, but i do not know any which can do the trick. Cross-linking (with coupling agent or radiation) may increase the strength as well, but it also introduce a brittleness
You can blend it with some more viscous polymer. That may be natural or synthetic.
I am aligned with the above researchers. You can observe making a blend with Chitosan.
You have not mentioned about the applications you are looking for? In my opinion ..
1. Try with bioplasticizers
2. Blending with other bio-polymers
3. Make ternary composites of starch, polymer and plasticizers
You have two ways,one is blend with other polymers, the other is crosslinkage.
You may use nano particles for improving mechanical properties, also blending with polar polymer is suitable. another approach is cross linking. also i prefer use nano particles such as CNT or nano clay 30B
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Engineering
- Materials Engineering