Starch-graft-acrylonitrile (ANS) is compounded with carboxylated nitrile butadiene rubber (XNBR) latex.
The control XNBR and the ANS/XNBR latex films were prepared through a coagulant dipping process. The
films were subjected to ageing and soil burial procedures. For the biodegradation experiment, the surface
of the film was assessed after the 2nd, 4th and 8th week of soil burial. The ANS, XNBR, and ANS/XNBR
colloidal stability were determined with a Malvern® Zetasizer. For the dipped latex films, the mechanical,
morphological and thermal properties were analyzed. The addition of ANS into the XNBR latex increased
the stability of the colloidal dispersions, decreased the latex film tensile strength, but increased the
elongation at break due to the bipolar interaction of the ANS and XNBR particles. The ANS/XNBR latex
films aged faster than the control films while the morphological analysis showed the existence of a starch
crystal region and the formation of microbial colonies on the surfaces of the films. Based on the TGA–DTA
curves, a higher T was observed for the ANS/XNBR latex films signifying high thermal energy needed
for the film to thermally degrade