Recent developments in sago starch thermoplastic bio-composites

Abstract The thermoplastic-based starch has been increasingly demanding in recent years due to its high potential to substitute conventional plastic usage. Sago has been recognized as one of the sources of starch with a large abundance. This chapter mainly emphasized the modification of sago starch using different additives for biodegradable plastic. The other starch modifications are also discussed, including the effect of epoxidized waste cooking oil (EWCO) addition as a plasticizer, lime juice’s citric acid as a crosslinker on the physical and chemical characteristics of the modified starch composites. The results mainly showed the advantages of reinforcing sago starch with plasticizers, nanoparticles, nanocellulose, fibers, and cross-linking agents, such as increasing the mechanical strength, higher thermal stability, and higher biodegradability. Therefore, the thermoplastic films from sago starch provide a promising potential to be further developed for practical applications.