Technological watch

Biopolymers derived from various sources are being widely used in the form of films and coatings for packaging applications. Different modification methods like addition of plasticizers, cross?linkers, compatibilisers, synthetic polymers and additives with different conversion technologies are used to make them suitable for particular application. Various sources are also now available for their testing and certification.Biopolymers are fourth generation packaging materials. Due to the shortcomings of the petrochemical?based polymers and their threat to the environment, biopolymers are seen as the sustainable substitute for traditional synthetic polymers and have attracted the researchers towards the development of biopolymer?based packaging materials. However, biopolymers suffer from flaws like inferior mechanical strength and thermal stability, which poses its inability to use at industrial scale. The recent studies thus highlighted the different modification methods such as reactive or nonreactive compatibilisation to conquer such issues. The present article recapitulates the various biopolymers developed in the recent past, modification methods for their processing and their packaging applications.