Analysis of the Barrier and Thermogravimetric Properties of Cassava StarchBiopolymeric Films with Addition of Beeswax

Abstract

Biopolymeric films have to appear as a viable technological alternative for two different strands, in order to replace the polymers of the petrochemical industry and to meet the growing world demand for fresh and healthy food, so the packaging is post-harvest technological solutions capable of reducing metabolic activity and preserve nutrients for long periods of storage. Biopolymeric films of cassava starch 2% were obtained; beeswax (BW) was added as a hydrophobic agent in the polymeric network at different concentrations relative to the dry biopolymer base (0%, 5%, and 10%). The contact angle of the systems containing beeswax indicated the hydrophobic behavior of the films, corroborating with the analysis of the Water Vapor Permeability (WVP) when it showed the behavior change between the films with and without BW for the shelf- life in fruits. The thermogravimetric analysis also evidenced that the addition of BW produced changes in the thermal decomposition behavior of the starch.