Synthesis and characterization of starch-g-PE copolymer using ethylene carbonate

The banana starch reaction with polyethylene using ethylene carbonate was carried out by varying the starch/ethylene carbonate mass ratio (50–1000%). The starch-g-PE mass yield reached 89% mass conversion and a grafting yield of 0.52 when a starch/EC = 0.5 ratio was used, while the mass yield decreased until reaching a value of 26% when the starch/EC mass ratio increased. The final product was characterized by different instrumentals techniques to demonstrate copolymerization. The vibration signal of the carbonyl group (C=O) increased as that the starch/EC mass ratio decreased, indicating that the starch polymer chains are chemically interacting with the PE. The chemical bond signal between starch with carbonate group was assigned at δ 4.8 ppm. This modified starch is a material with less thermal stability than banana starch and polyethylene, and its degradation temperature decreases by 20 °C and 50 °C, respectively. The micrographs shown that the starch granules randomly agglomerate due to the presence of PE. Modified starch has a lower crystallinity than native starch. The viscosity of the starch-g-PE granules reached a value of 0.1 Pa s at temperature of 33 °C, while native starch reached a value of 5.0 Pa s at this same temperature. This product obtained is a moisture-resistant material due to the presence of PE chains and that could be used as a compatibilizer for post-consumer polymers such as polyalkanes. Graphical abstract