Mixture–Process Design and Multiresponse Optimization of Starch–Gelatin Films Containing Nopal-Opuntia spp. Mucilage: Mechanical Properties and Apparent Mass Loss
- 1GI3M—Grupo de Investigación e Innovación en Ingeniería Mecánica, Universidad Técnica de Ambato, Ambato 180104, Ecuador
- 2Facultad de Ingeniería Civil y Mecánica, Universidad Técnica de Ambato, Ambato 180104, Ecuador
- 3Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud y Bienestar Humano, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Ambato 180212, Ecuador
Abstract
The performance of biopolymer films depends on both composition and formation conditions. This study evaluated films containing constant amounts of Nopal-Opuntia spp. mucilage, glycerol, and vinegar using a 16-run mixture–process design with four starch–gelatin ratios and post-drying thermal-treatment settings of 40 or 60 °C for 5 or 10 min. Maximum tensile stress, a provisional modulus, elongation, and apparent mass loss in soil and outdoors were analyzed over 48 days. Model adequacy was assessed using fit statistics, leave-one-formulation-out predictions, and influence diagnostics. The primary multiresponse solution assigned lower relative importance to the two gravimetric responses than to the three mechanical responses and corresponded to starch/gelatin 0.25/0.75 at 40 °C for 5 min (D = 0.644), coinciding with observed run F04. Equal-response and gravimetric-loss-emphasis solutions were retained as sensitivity analyses; their intermediate times are unconfirmed model interpolations. F04 showed the highest observed stress (1.614 MPa) and provisional modulus (24.358 MPa), F16 the greatest elongation (99.269%), and F09 the greatest observed apparent mass loss (93.0% in soil and 95.0% outdoors). One film was manufactured per run, the starting mass used for gravimetric calculations was nominal, and no confirmatory runs were conducted. Accordingly, the estimates remain formulation-specific and exploratory; mass loss does not demonstrate biodegradation.
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BibTeX
@article{paredes2026mixtureprocess,
title = {{Mixture–Process Design and Multiresponse Optimization of Starch–Gelatin Films Containing Nopal-Opuntia spp. Mucilage: Mechanical Properties and Apparent Mass Loss}},
author = {Juan Paredes and Germán Flores and Cristian Pérez-Salinas and Gabriela Salinas},
journal = {Polymers},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/polym18202528},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/20/2528},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Mixture–Process Design and Multiresponse Optimization of Starch–Gelatin Films Containing Nopal-Opuntia spp. Mucilage: Mechanical Properties and Apparent Mass Loss
AU - Juan Paredes
AU - Germán Flores
AU - Cristian Pérez-Salinas
AU - Gabriela Salinas
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Polymers
DO - 10.3390/polym18202528
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/20/2528
AB - The performance of biopolymer films depends on both composition and formation conditions. This study evaluated films containing constant amounts of Nopal-Opuntia spp. mucilage, glycerol, and vinegar using a 16-run mixture–process design with four starch–gelatin ratios and post-drying thermal-treatment settings of 40 or 60 °C for 5 or 10 min. Maximum tensile stress, a provisional modulus, elongation, and apparent mass loss in soil and outdoors were analyzed over 48 days. Model adequacy was assessed using fit statistics, leave-one-formulation-out predictions, and influence diagnostics. The primary multiresponse solution assigned lower relative importance to the two gravimetric responses than to the three mechanical responses and corresponded to starch/gelatin 0.25/0.75 at 40 °C for 5 min (D = 0.644), coinciding with observed run F04. Equal-response and gravimetric-loss-emphasis solutions were retained as sensitivity analyses; their intermediate times are unconfirmed model interpolations. F04 showed the highest observed stress (1.614 MPa) and provisional modulus (24.358 MPa), F16 the greatest elongation (99.269%), and F09 the greatest observed apparent mass loss (93.0% in soil and 95.0% outdoors). One film was manufactured per run, the starting mass used for gravimetric calculations was nominal, and no confirmatory runs were conducted. Accordingly, the estimates remain formulation-specific and exploratory; mass loss does not demonstrate biodegradation.
SN - 2073-4360
ER -