Characteristics of Starch-Based Cellulosic Foam Made by Microwave Expansion

There is an ongoing interest in naturally derived biocomposites which exhibit low density and high porosity for a wide range of applications ranging from insulating building materials, to biomedical tissue scaffolds to processed food products. In this work, we study the expansion of starch-based cellulosic composites after microwave treatment. Time series studies showed optimal microwave treatment time for 20% microcrystalline cellulose reinforced starch-based foam was around 40s. Among all the foams, the maximal expansion ratio was around 492%. Densities of the foams were investigated using volume displacement method. The effect of microcrystalline cellulose on starch expansion is further discussed.