Plastic materials produced from petrochemicals are widely used due to their versatility, mechanical properties and low cost, but they cause environmental impact as a consequence of the accumulation of great amount of these conventional synthetic polymers. The problems caused by the waste disposal of these plastics have motivated the development, production and application of biodegradable polymers; however these polymers have high costs and non-suitable mechanical and physical properties. Therefore, a study of polymeric compounds made of poly(hydroxyburyrate-co-valerate) - PHBV, poly(butylyneadiapate-therefhtalate) - Ecoflex® and cassava starch has been done. This polymeric compound was evaluated using Melt Flow Index (MFI), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), mechanical and biodegradation tests. The results indicate that the cassava starch acts as an inert filler, and that there is no significant adhesion between cassava starch and PHBV/Ecoflex®. More importantly, adding cassava led to good biodegradation results. This study therefore demonstrates that it is possible to obtain viable materials for short-term applications, with adequate physical and mechanical properties and excellent biodegradation results.
Biodegradable polymers; biodegradation; PHBV; Biocycle; Ecoflex; cassava starch
