Study of oxygen permeability and flame retardancy properties of biodegradable polymethylmethacrylate/starch composites

Abstract Polymethylmethacrylate/starch (PMMA/starch) composites were prepared by emulsion polymerization method using potassium persulphate (KPS) as the radical initiator. The interaction of starch with polymethylmethacrylate was evidenced by ultraviolet–visible (UV–visible) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The structure of PMMA/starch composite was studied by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) study and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The thermal properties of starch, PMMA/starch composites were compared with the virgin PMMA sample. The PMMA/starch composites were found to be flame retardant material from the measurement of limiting oxygen index (LOI) of samples. The biodegradability of the PMMA/starch composites were studied by active sludge water and it was found that degradability of composites increases with increasing time interval. The oxygen permeability of PMMA/starch composites was substantially decreased as compared to virgin PMMA. The reduction of oxygen permeability of the PMMA/starch composites may enable the materials applicable in packaging industries. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers