Black Corn (Zea mays L.) Flour for Sustainable and Degradable Bioplastics Development
摘要
In this study, bioplastics based on black corn flour (Zea mays L.) have been developed to provide industries with an innovative alternative made from organic materials, thereby contributing to the reduction of environmental impact due to their high biodegradability. The experimental design applied demonstrated the feasibility of producing bioplastics with physical, mechanical, and optical properties comparable to conventional low-density polyethylene (LDPE) used in plant transplants. The results indicated that the bioplastics (T4) have a thickness of 0.5 mm, moisture content of 15%, deformation resistance of 26 N, permeability close to 1 [g mm h−1 cm−1 Pa−1], solubility of 14.33%, water resistance for 48 h, high brightness and gloss, transparency of 1.85% and an accelerated degradation of 30 days. However, their production on an industrial scale requires the use of specialized equipment, as incorporating molds can increase costs. These bioplastics represent a viable ecological solution to reduce plastic pollution.