Construction of starch-rich composites based on crosslinked cellulose and regulation of mechanical properties

Biodegradable materials are a research hotspot for alleviating plastic pollution. Among them, the starch/ poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) composite material has attracted attention due to its low cost and biodegradability. However, it has bottleneck problems such as poor mechanical properties. To address this challenge, this study used a high content of starch and PBAT as the matrix, glycerol as the plasticizer, ADR as the crosslinking agent, and cellulose as the reinforcing phase. The cellulose-reinforced starch-based composite material was prepared using a twin-screw extrusion process, and the influence of cellulose content on the structure and properties of the composite material was investigated. The hydrogen bond interaction between cellulose and the starch matrix achieved a good interface bonding. The tensile strength of the composite material increased synergistically with the cellulose content and crosslinking effect, reaching a maximum of 18.5 MPa. The study confirmed that cellulose can be used as an effective reinforcing phase to enhance the mechanical properties and melt strength of starch/PBAT composite materials, and has a good application prospect in the food packaging field, providing a new technical approach for the development of high-performance biodegradable materials.