Mechanical Behavior of Starch–Carbon Nanotubes Composites

Abstract

This chapter is focused on the mechanical behavior of plasticized starch-based nanocomposites reinforced with carbon nanotubes. It starts with a general introduction about the most important materials that involve those nanocomposites, such as starch and multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Then, a presentation of the most relevant published results on the mechanical properties of starch matrix and starch–carbon nanotubes composites is reported. Factors affecting these properties such as crystallinity, water content and plasticizers are discussed. The mechanical behavior of these composites is discussed in separate sections regarding tensile properties, impact behavior, and viscoelastic behavior as well as the most important influencing factors on these properties. Finally, concluding remarks and future trends on the improvement of the mechanical response of starch–carbon nanotubes composites are presented.