Selected Papers as Potential Laminar Reinforcement for Tapioca Starch/Glutinous Starch Blend Composite Foams

This study investigated laminar composite foams from tapioca starch / glutinous starch blends reinforced with different types of papers. The ratio of tapioca starch / glutinous starch blend was 60:40. Selected papers consisting of mulberry papers, kraft papers, and Newsprint papers were used as reinforcement. Papers were treated with silane coupling agents, tetraethoxy silane (TEOS) 10% by weight of paper. The laminar composite foams were formed by compression molding. It was found that the incorporation of selected papers into blended starch foam as laminar reinforcement improved the foam morphology of the composite compared to starch foam resulting in increased density, flexural stress, flexural modulus, and impact strength of laminar composite foams. The results showed that the three types of paper had similar mechanical properties. Kraft paper as reinforcement has the highest flexural strength, flexural modulus, and impact strength. Mulberry paper as reinforcement has a low-density value. Newsprint paper has slightly lower properties than those mulberry and kraft paper but has the lowest price.