Functionality and characterization of modified starch films with pineapple leaf fibers.

The objective of this work was to modify banana starch with pineapple leaf fibers (PALF) and its production of biodegradable films. The reaction conditions of the starch modification were a Starch/PALF mass ratio of 50, a time of 1 h and a temperature of 140 °C, to obtain a yield of 41.18 %. Characterization by FTIR and NMR confirmed that the chemical reaction was carried out. XRD and TGA analysis showed that the crystalline zones of the starch were affected during the modification and the product obtained is thermally less stable compared to unmodified starch. The modified starch showed a lower pasting profile compared to the native starch; however, the modified starch showed the ability to form a film. The starch-PALF films were obtained by the casting method and partially characterized. These films presented better mechanical properties compared to the unmodified films. Also, these films could compete with conventional non-biodegradable plastics.