Starch/MWCNT/epoxy composites for biodegradable batteries

Currently, the vast majority of plastics are made from petroleum-based synthetic polymers that do not degrade in a natural environment and their disposal poses a serious problem. An environmentally-conscious alternative is to design polymer nanocomposites that are biodegradable. The biodegradable nanocomposites based on MWCNT has been explored for application in batteries. In this paper the synthesis and characterization of glycerol plasticized Starch/MWCNT/Epoxy bio- nanocomposites has been investigated. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) is produced by chemical vapor decomposition (CVD) using acetylene gas or Methane gas in the presence of Ferrocene catalyst at 800 °C, and then oxidized with concentrated nitric acid at 150 0C. Glycerol (about 2 ml) was added to 5-6 grams of starch, mixed thoroughly and added into the aqueous solution with MWCNTs of 0.2~1.0 wt%. The solutions were stirred and heated for upto 30 min using a water bath at 700C.