Influence of the composition and high shear stresses on the structure and properties of hybrid materials based on starch and synthetic copolymer

The method of mechanical activation in the rotor-stator device was used to combine the starch hydrogel and the latex of the synthetic copolymer. The compatibility of the components was found to improve consistently by the preliminary mechanoactivation of the starch gel and the joint activation of the mixturs. The joint activation was shown to promote the crystallization of starch and the amorphous phase ordering of the composite. An increase in the starch content and co-activation were found to result in rise in the Young's modulus and tensile strength, but joint activation ensures an increase in the elasticity of the samples. The kinetic parameters of moisture transfer through composite films were estimated. A distinct compensative effect was found, consisted in a significant increase in the sorption coefficient and a decrease in the diffusion coefficient with increasing starch content.