Abstract
Novel green composites based on commercial poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) filled with 10 wt % rice husk flour (RHF) were melt-compounded in a mini-mixer unit using triglycidyl isocyanurate (TGIC) as compatibilizer and dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as initiator. Purified poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) produced by mixed bacterial cultures derived from fruit pulp waste was then incorporated into the green composite in contents in the 5–50 wt % range. Films for testing were obtained thereafter by thermo-compression and characterized. Results showed that the incorporation of up to 20 wt % of biowaste derived PHBV yielded green composite films with a high contact transparency, relatively low crystallinity, high thermal stability, improved mechanical ductility, and medium barrier performance to water vapor and aroma. This study puts forth the potential use of purified biosustainably produced PHBV as a cost-effective additive to develop more affordable and waste valorized food packaging articles.
Highlights
The current concern to reduce the use of petroleum-derived materials has led to the search for natural and biodegradable polymers
The morphology of the rice husk flour (RHF) powder was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for determining the particle size and shape
In the low-magnification SEM image, shown in Figure 2a, one can see that the particles were not uniform in morphology and their dimension varied broadly
Summary
The current concern to reduce the use of petroleum-derived materials has led to the search for natural and biodegradable polymers. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) is a family of linear polyesters produced in nature by the action of bacteria during fermentation of sugar or lipids in famine conditions [1]. PHAs represent a good alternative to conventional polymers in the frame of the circular economy since they are fully bio-based and biodegradable [2]. Among the different commercially available PHAs, the most widely studied is poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). This isotactic homopolyester presents a relatively high melting temperature (Tm ) and good stiffness and strength due to its high crystallinity (>50%). PHB is biodegradable in composting conditions and in other environments such as marine water [4]
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