Starch is a polymer of natural origin. Commercial sources of starch include corn, wheat, rice, and potatoes. Starch can be processed by extrusion (in the melt) into semi-finished products, the so-called thermoplastic starch or Themoplastic Starch (TPS). In terms of processability, TPS is very similar to “ordinary” bulk plastics, but is less capable of withstanding very high temperatures. TPS can be processed into a (plastic) end product by injection moulding, foil blowing, extrusion, foaming or moulding. Wageningen University & Research, develops innovative industrial films made from a mixture of thermoplastic starch and polyethylene. This combination significantly improves the barrier properties of a film.
What’s next
The next step is increasing the cost competitiveness of these bioplastics in order to make them more financially competitive with conventional fossil plastics. In addition, we would like to research possibilities of tailoring the properties of these bioplastics to specific applications.