Abstract
Increasing environmental awareness and concern have shifted the focus of research and development towards biodegradable materials development. In the current study, Cymbopogan citratus fibre (CCF) were incorporated into thermoplastic cassava starch (TPCS) with various content of CCF (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 wt.%) via compression moulding. The determination of fundamental characteristics of TPCS/CCF biopolymer composites was conducted to assess their potential as biodegradable reinforcements. Characterization of the samples was conducted via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as well as mechanical, moisture absorption, and soil burial testings. The findings showed that the improved tensile and flexural features of the TPCS composites with CCF incorporation, with 50 wt.% CCF content yielded the maximum modulus and strength. The thermal properties of the biocomposite demonstrated that CCF addition improved the material’s thermal stability, as shown by a higher-onset decomposition temperature and ash content. Meanwhile, the CCF incorporation into TPCS slowed down the biodegradation of the composites. In term of morphological, homogeneous fibres and matrix dispersion with excellent adhesion was observed in morphological analyses using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which is crucial for the enhancement of the mechanical performance of biocomposites.
Highlights
Plastics are incredibly durable and are widely used in industries such as packaging applications
Novel biocomposite produced from thermoplastic cassava starch reinforced by the different Cymbopogan citratus fibre concentrations was produced using hot pressing, and their mechanical, thermal, morphological, biodegradation, as well as moisture properties were investigated
The addition of Cymbopogan citratus fibre enhanced the thermal stability of the composite, as evidenced by the composites having a higher decomposition temperature than the pure thermoplastic cassava starch (TPCS)
Summary
Plastics are incredibly durable and are widely used in industries such as packaging applications. Plastic products created from petroleum-based polymers have detrimental effects on the environment by accumulating non-biodegradable waste, since they are entirely composed of chemicals such as ethylene and propylene [1]. Biodegradable plastic is among the most promising alternatives to non-biodegradable plastics; interest in consuming available natural resources to manufacture more environmentally friendly polymers has been gradually rising to address the issue. Renewable resources relate to plant-based elements, e.g., starch and cellulose [2]. Both of these materials are renewable and readily available from a variety of sources. Starch is an entirely biodegradable polysaccharide and the most promising material owing to its lower cost, wide availability, abundance, biodegradability, non-toxicity, and renewability [3–5]. Compared to other plastics in use, pure thermoplastic starch has significant disadvantages, including high water absorption and poor mechanical properties, which limit its possible applications [8,9]
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