Comparative Study of Starch Fibers Obtained by Electro-spinning of Indigenous, Commercial and Cationic Potato Starch

摘要

By using the electro-spinning process on natural polymers, it is possible to obtain biodegradable membranes with potential applications in filters and scaffolds for tissue engineering. In this study, a comparison was made between the respective chemical, physical and thermal properties of the fibers from two sources of starch: One derived from a local, indigenous variety of potato (Diacol Capiro), native to the Boyaca region of Colombia (from here on referred to as "local starch"); the other, commercially available starch. A cationization of fibers was also carried out on the two starches. Chemical, physical and thermal properties were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (DRX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results showed the fibers were cationized with a highly amorphous state, with a heat resistance of 300 degrees C from physicochemical changes generated in the fibers.