Fabrication of nano filler doped PVA/starch biodegradable composites with enhanced thermal conduction, water barrier and antimicrobial performance for food industry

In this work there was investigated the synergistic effect of the nanomaterials-the Montmorillonite (MMT) and the vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) on the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/starch composite. The composite films were prepared by the solvent casting method. The characterization of the composites showed that the addition of the MMT and the V2O5 to PVA/starch composite decreased the water solubility and water absorption capacity of the film. Both of the reinforcement materials enriched values of thermal conductivity and thermal stability of the composite. The TG/DTA and universal testing machine (UTM) analysis exhibited that MMT and V2O5 augmented the thermal robustness and tensile strength of composites and decreased the strain to break. It was also observed that greater MMT concentration accelerates mechanical strength deterioration of the film owing to agglomeration. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis reflected great change in the surface morphology of the films in the presence and absence of MMT and V2O5. This was due to the interaction amid constituents of the composite. The chemical interaction between the PVA, Starch, MMT and the V2O5 was also established via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, which revealed fluctuations in the absorbance position and intensity of the PVA/Starch. Antimicrobial activities against seven different cultures of bacteria (both-gram positive and -negative) and one fungus (Candida albicans), exposed that antimicrobial performance of the PVA amplified upon addition of the starch, MMT and V2O5, making these composites prospective candidates for the biodegradable packaging materials.