ARS | Publication request: Degradable Polymer Composites Fabricated from Starch and Alkyl Cyanoacrylate Monomer

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: August 13, 2010
Publication Date: October 15, 2010
Citation: Kim, S. 2010. Degradable Polymer Composites Fabricated from Starch and Alkyl Cyanoacrylate Monomer. Meeting Abstract. SV# Starch and Protein Session

Technical Abstract: Degradable polymer composites are fabricated from alkyl cyanoacrylate monomer and starch without special equipment. Alkyl cyanoacrylate, which is a major component of “super glue”, is a monomer that polymerizes at room temperature in the presence of initiators. During the fabrication of polymer composites, dissociated hydroxyl ions from moisture on the surface of the starch granules works as an initiator. After the polymerization, the body of starch granules acts as filler and the micrometer-scale gaps formed by starch granules are filled with a degradable polymer, poly(alkyl cyanoacrylate). The reaction time of the polymerization is adjustable by controlling the moisture content on the surface of starch granules. The polymer composites produced by this procedure contain 50-64 wt% of starch with compressive strengths of 80 (±10) MPa. Optimum starch composition for these composites is approximately 60% by weight. Incorporation of conducting fillers such as graphite turns the composites into conducting polymer composites. The conductance of the resulting composites is high enough to be used as an electromagnetic shielding material.