Fabrication and characterization of zirconium hydroxide-carboxymethyl cellulose sodium/plasticized Trichosanthes Kirilowii starch nanocomposites

Carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMC) was used as the template to prepare zirconium hydroxide nanoparticles. The resulted Zr-CMC was composed of about 29.4 wt% CMC and amorphous zirconium hydroxide. Zirconium hydroxide nanoparticles in size of 20–50 nm were encapsulated by CMC, which could improve the stability of zirconium hydroxide in water. Trichosanthes kirilowii (TK) is a traditional Chinese medicine, which is rich in starch. TK starch is attempted to be plasticized with glycerol to obtain glycerol-plasticized starch (GPS) in the casting process. And Zr-CMC as the filler was loaded in GPS matrix. Since Zr-CMC could form the good interaction with GPS matrix, Zr-CMC filler could be dispersed well in GPS matrix; thereby, improve the mechanical properties and water barrier of GPS matrix.