Influence of Oat Hulls on Biodegradation of Biopolymer from Polylactic Acid

The production of biopolymers has been shown to be one of the most viable alternatives for the reduction of the use of conventional plastics. The oat hulls are a by-product with great ability to be incorporated into the production of biopolymers since it is a lignocellulosic compound. The lignin present in its composition can improve the strength of the material, however, it can also hamper its degradation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the degradation levels of composites produced from starch and polylactic acid with absence (T1) and presence of oat hulls (T2) through the Sturm test. In T2 it was a more uniform and smooth biopolymer. In addition, the use of oat hulls favored CO2 production, 8% more than T1. Although the loss of dry mass in T1 was 3% higher, it was possible to observe degradation in T2.