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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Plant Polymer Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #351743
Research Project: Conversion of Polysaccharides and Other Bio-based Materials to High-Value, Commercial Products

Location: Plant Polymer Research

Title: Tensile strength properties of starch and cinnamon leaf essential oil blends

Author
item MORRICAL, LUKE - The Ohio State University
item Finkenstadt, Victoria

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/2018
Publication Date: 6/18/2018
Citation: Morrical, L., Finkenstadt, V.L. 2018. Tensile strength properties of starch and cinnamon leaf essential oil blends [abstract]. 22nd Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference, June 18-20, 2018, Portland, OR.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Food-borne illnesses present a large problem in the food industry, and the overuse of antibiotics to treat them at the source is a problem as well. One solution is to incorporate natural antimicrobials into food-contact surfaces such as packaging. The focus of this research is the use of plant essential oils incorporated into food packaging. In this study the tensile strength properties of blends made from various combinations of starch, polylactide (PLA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), cinnamon leaf oil, natural clays, and glycerol were tested. The results of these tests were compared with blends that did not contain the cinnamon leaf oil. PVOH and PLA were chosen to represent flexible and rigid packaging materials. It was found that for samples utilizing PVOH and some of the PVOH samples, those containing essential oil had a lower tensile strength than those without the essential oil present. Indicating, that the addition of essential oil to the PVOH samples produced a decrease in the material’s tensile strength. The study also showed that the addition of the essential oil raised the percent stress for a number of the PLA samples and all of the PVOH samples indicating that the samples were more flexible than their counterparts that did not contain essential oil.