Biodegradability of bio‐based materials produced with dry heating treatment‐modified cassava starch

Abstract Among the different types of starch modification that increase their performance, dry heating treatment (DHT) is a promising green technique that results in plastic materials with enhanced characteristics, mainly in their mechanical and barrier properties. The effect of this type of modification on its biodegradability and disintegration behavior has yet to be described in the literature. Therefore, this work aims to produce bio‐based plastic with cassava starch previously modified by DHT and study its disintegration and biodegradation in compost media. The main results showed that all materials showed up to 80% and 90% biodegradation and disintegration, respectively, for all materials in 45 days. Moreover, higher rates of disintegration were visualized until day 7, as well as microbial growth and disappearance of functional groups, which is attributed to the highly hydrophilic nature of starch that facilitates the hydrolysis of the polymer in the early stages. In particular, the sheet submitted to DHT for 4 h showed higher rates.