Mechanical and barrier properties of corn distarch phosphate-zein bilayer films by thermocompression.

Corn distarch phosphate-zein bilayer films (C-Z) fabricated from corn distarch phosphate-based films (C) laminated on zein-based films (Z) by thermocompression. The strong interaction between starch and zein molecules was formed by hydrogen bonding, which resulted in good thermal stability of bilayer films. Moreover, bilayer films exhibited better mechanical properties and ductility than monolayer Z films, and concomitantly enhanced the moisture barrier and oxygen barrier for monolayer C films. The tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (EAB) of the C-Z bilayer films (the ratio C:Z was 6:4) increased by 74.04% and 348.13% over the Z films, respectively. Compared with C films, the water vapor permeability (WVP) and oxygen permeability (OP) of the C-Z bilayer films (the ratio C:Z was 6: 4) decreased by 31.53 and 24.26%, respectively.