Mechanical and Water Interaction Properties of Polymeric Films Produced with Starch and Gelatin Extracted from Leather Waste as Affected by Different Composition

Abstract

In this work, gelatin extracted from chromed leather wastes (CLW) was used to produce polymeric films with starch. Different compositions (glycerol or sorbitol as plasticizers, 0, 10 and 20% of plasticizer and 6.4, 8.0 and 9.6 g of starch for each 2.4 g of gelatin) were evaluated. Water solubility ranged from 17 to28% and elongation at break from 6.5 to 133.8%. The oppositeeffect was noticed for tensile strength. Small amounts ofchromium (2.4 – 2.9 mg/kg of film) would allow the filmsapplication in agriculture, where nitrogen released after filmsdegradation would act as a nutrient.