Abstract

The aim of this research is to prepare biodegradable plastics which are made from the natural materials. In this study, solution casting technique is used to prepare the cassava starch nanocomposite reinforced kenaf. Prior to that, kenaf fibers undergo alkali and bleaching treatments in order to prepare the cellulose. Nanocellulose which used as reinforcing nanoparticle in the composites was then prepared by acid hydrolysis of obtained cellulose with 65% sulphuric acid. The preparation of cassava starch biocomposites was done using the mixture of sorbitol/glycerol (1:1) with various cellulose loading (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10%). Finer size of cellulose is examined from the transmissions electron microscopy (TEM) analysis with diameter of 12±3.04 nm and length of 70-190 nm recorded. As for field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) analysis, good dispersion and strong interaction between starch and cellulose had been observed for the nanocomposite films. These contribute for enhancement in the mechanical performance which demonstrated improvement of all nanocomposite films compared to the neat matrix with 6 % cellulose composition showed the highest tensile stress value of 6.3 MPa.

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 call

Disclaimer: 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.