Properties of starch–hydroxypropyl methylcellulose based films obtained by compression molding

• Citric acid and HPMC decrease the glass transition temperature of starch based films.
• Starch crystallization during storage was inhibited by both citric acid and HPMC.
• Citric acid and HPMC decrease the water vapor permeability of starch based films.
• The cross-linking effect in the film could increase with the storage time.

Corn starch–glycerol (1:0.3) films, containing or not citric acid (1 g/100 g starch) and HPMC (10 and 20 g/100 g starch), are obtained by compression molding. The microstructure of the films, the thermal behavior, the X-ray diffraction spectra and the physical properties (mechanical, barrier and optical) were analyzed after 1 and 5 storage weeks at 25 °C and 53% relative humidity. The bonded citric acid and film solubility were also determined. Starch–HPMC blend films showed a dispersed phase of HPMC in a continuous, starch-rich phase with lower glass transition than HPMC-free films. The addition of citric acid also provoked a decrease in glass transition in line with the partial hydrolysis of starch chains. Both components implied a decrease in the water vapour permeability while the oxygen permeability slightly increased. Although citric acid only provoked a small hardening effect in the films, it greatly decreased their extensibility (weak cross-linking effect), which seems to increase during film storage. Starch crystallization during storage was inhibited by both citric acid and HPMC.