Effect of cellulose reinforcement on the properties of organic acid modified starch microparticles/plasticized starch bio-composite films

► Corn starch was reacted with tartaric acid and incorporated within a glycerol plasticized starch matrix. ► Bleached birch cellulose was used for obtainment of modified corn starch/plasticized starch based bio-composite films. ► Addition of birch cellulose determined a slightly improvement of the starch-based films water resistance. ► Significant interactions between cellulose fibers and starch by restricting the chain motion of starch matrix were evidenced. ► Thermal analysis indicated an improvement to some degree of starch-based films stability by addition of birch cellulose.