Biodegradable composites of waste expanded polystyrene with modified neem oil for packaging applications

Polymer composite film containing expanded polystyrene wastes, poly (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate), epoxidized neem oil and cassava starch was prepared by solution casting technique. The composite film was characterized by FTIR, NMR, X-ray diffraction, and FESEM analysis. The thermal stability of the polymer composite film was studied by TGA and DSC. Melting point, glass transition temperature and cold-crystallization temperature of the composite films were found to decrease with increasing percentages of epoxidized neem oil plasticizer, which point towards the enhanced segmental mobility of the polymer chain. TGA results show that plasticization has enhanced the thermal stability of the polymer composite. The prepared films show improved percentage elongation with moderate tensile strength and Young’s modulus. Soil burial test was adopted to check the biodegradability. The lower values of water absorption indicate the water-resistant nature of the films. This green synthetic approach offers a simple means of up-cycling waste thermocol in a cost-effective manner which imparts partial biodegradability with potential for packaging film and eliminates the usage of toxic chemicals.