The effect of temperature and water absorption on enzymatic degradation of starch / polyvinyl alcohol blend film by α-Amylase

Thermoplastic starch (TPS) materials present several advantages to the plastic industry andwhen blended with other materials they can exhibit improved mechanical and moisturesensitivity properties compared to pure TPS materials. Further investigations on TPS: PVAblends are of particular interest due to their excellent compatibility and improved properties suchas tensile strength, elongation, toughness and processability, predominantly due to animprovement in melt strength compared to pure TPS material. The aims of the study were toinvestigate the effect of varying polyvinyl alcohol content within the TPS blends on the rate andextent of starch enzymatic hydrolysis using enzyme alpha-amylase. Analyses the enzymaticdegradation behavior of poly(vinyl alcohol) with starch was based on the determinations ofWeight loss and the reducing sugars. The degraded residues have been examined by FT-IRspectroscopy and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM).