NATIVE POTATO STARCH (NPS) BLENDED WITH POLYPROPYLENE: EFFECT OF SOIL BURIAL ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

Polypropylene (PP) biodegradable blends were prepared by the incorporation of native potato starch (NPS) powder at filler content in the range of 0-50 wt. % into an injection moulding machine. The native starch has a particle size of 0.075mm. The biodegradation of the native potato starch filled polypropylene blends were investigated as a function of filler content and compatibilizing agent (PP-g-MA). A soil burial test was conducted for 90 days, and the degradation of NPS/PP blends was evaluated through tensile testing. The results showed that the tensile strength, elongation at break and Young’s modulus all decreased after soil burial testing due to the microbial attack on the samples. Tensile properties improvement was seen on addition of PP-g-MA due to better adhesion between the native potato starch filler and polypropylene matrix.