Abstract
Enhalus acoroides (L.f.) Royle is a tropical seagrass species that contains large amounts of cellulose and hemicellulose. During monsoons, leaves of this species wash up along beaches, accumulate and decompose anoxically, causing unpleasant odors. This leaf waste could be exploited by extracting the cellulose fibers. Prepared leaf waste was alkaline-treated and bleached. At each stage of treatment, the properties of the fiber were characterized by color spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry, and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The diameter of the untreated fiber was 66.67 µm. After alkaline treatment, the diameter was 8.30 µm. Bleaching with hydrogen peroxide decomposed the alkaline-treated fiber into individual microfibrils with a diameter of 6.67 µm. The bleached microfibrils had a high whiteness value of L*= 92.47, and high degrees of thermal stability (Tmax 363 °C) and crystallinity (59%). The properties of the bleached microfibrils were appropriate for the reinforcement of a polymer composite. Therefore, using compression molding, we produced a biodegradable seeding pot prototype from a thermoplastic starch (TPS) reinforced with 5 wt% of bleached fiber from E. acoroides (L.f.) Royle.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
