Nanostarch-Filled Polymer Nanocomposites

Abstract

Nanostarch has received much attention as a polymer nanocomposite filler for packaging applications due to the great advantage that the starch is widely available and is fully compostable. The use of nanostarches has been explored as a strategy to overcome the shortcomings of natural and synthetic polymer-based materials. In particular, starch-based nanocomposites with nanostarches can increase the compatibility between the polymer base and the nanofiller due to the use of starch in both materials. Well-dispersed nanostarches can improve the characteristics of several nanocomposites, including thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties, as well as their biodegradability in soil.This chapter summarizes the characteristics of the different types of nanostarches and provides the most relevant and recent research related to the use of nanostarches in different polymer-based nanocomposites, with emphasis on synthetic and natural polymers and particularly starch-based nanocomposites. Finally, the potential applications of nanostarch-filled polymer-based nanocomposites as packaging are explored.