Caracterización nanoscópica superficial y fisicoquímica de películas de almidón extraído de zanahoria blanca (Arracacia xanthorrhiza), con arcillas de caolín y bentonita como aditivos

Abstract

On a global scale, millions of tons of plastic are produced, mostly for single-use purposes with limited recyclability. Almost all raw materials used in plastic manufacturing come from petroleum-derived resources. Tons of these residues end up deposited in lakes, rivers, and seas, breaking down into microplastics and nanoplastics present in the environment. This pollution directly impacts all forms of life. Therefore, replacing synthetic polymers with starch-based bioplastic films represents a beneficial alternative. This research study focuses on the analysis of the surface nanoscopic structure and physicochemical characterization of starch films derived from white carrot (Arracacia xanthorrhiza), with additives of bentonite and kaolin. These clay additives induce changes in the films' properties at both microscopic and physicochemical levels. To effectively apply these composite films, understanding their properties is essential, and many influencing factors can be explained by phenomena observed at the nanoscopic level. Characterization revealed significant differences between the two types of additives, contrasting their physicochemical properties such as moisture content, total soluble matter, mechanical properties, opacity, and visual and color appearance. This comparison was based on analyses supplemented with topography images obtained through tapping mode atomic force microscopy. Results indicate that films with bentonite exhibit irregular topography, whereas those with kaolin show a more homogeneous structure.