Development of biodegradable soy flour composites for short-term applications

The disposal of plastic waste has become a major environmental concern, considering the ever-increasing consumption of plastics. Bioplastics like PHB (polyhydroxy butyrate) from microbial sources is a viable alternative but they are expensive. An alternative is to use cheaper and naturally available renewable biopolymers from agricultural feedstocks like starch, amylose, soyflour etc. However, their hydrophilicity and poor mechanical properties are a major hindrance to their usage. This study aims at overcoming these limitations by esterifying biopolymers (soy flour, starch) and reinforcing with nanoclay. A suitable plasticizer will be added to ease the processability. The project is expected to result in a TERI process patent on biodegradable plastics. It will ultimately lead to a product to replace conventional plastics used in applications like packaging, short-use molded products such as disposable cutlery, agricultural mulch films etc.