Functionality Test Methods for Biodegradable Polymers

Abstract

Petroleum-based materials are being used for packaging of the food products for a long time. However, their resistance to biodegradation has a harmful impact on the environment, and therefore, the trend is shifting towards the use of biodegradable polymers. Besides their ability to degrade naturally, it is also important that they possess similar quality like conventional plastic-based packaging in terms of its stability towards light, oxygen, water and strength which are recognized by ISO (International Organization for Standardization), OECD and ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials) so as to promote usage at commercial level. It is essential to understand the properties of the film not only to check for the biodegradability but also for their application in long-term packaging, protection of the contained product from environmental obstacles and transportation and properties of food itself. Besides, the use of active packaging involves incorporation of certain bioactive agent which add to the functionality of the packaging material. There are various methods that are used to test the properties of the polymer. In this chapter, an overview of different methods to test for the functionality of the polymers will be discussed, in consideration to their degradation, strength and barrier properties against various environmental factor. In addition to this, international standards for biodegradation test for the material and for sample preparation are also described. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.