Substitution of synthetic plastic sheet by naturally colored (Turmeric) biodegradable sheet prepared from nanocellulose of raw jute, and evaluation of its quality performance (Multifunctional properties)

Abstract

Synthetic plastic sheets are mainly composed of long-chain petrochemical-predicated derivatives, and their pollution is now generally acknowledged as a massive environmental burden, both in the aquatic and terrestrial environments, where this type of plastic takes longer to degrade biophysically, has negative impacts on human lives, and has inhibited disposal alternatives. This work aims at the characterization and performance analysis of biodegradable sheets made by using natural ingredients to reduce the dependency on synthetic plastics and thus culminate in plastic pollution. The multifunctional properties of the prepared sheet from raw jute were quite decent; the tensile strength of the biodegradable sheet was increased to around 22 ​MPa, whereas the tensile strength of the synthetic plastic sheet is around 15 ​MPa. Moreover, the elongation rate also decreased to around 53%. The biodegradability test ascertained the prepared sheet's degradability; the biodegradability rate of the prepared sheet was higher than the synthetic plastic sheet, and also had a nice color appearance due to the colorization with natural dye (turmeric). The outstanding physico-mechanical qualities, satisfactory color durability, and biodegradability of the prepared colored sheet obtained from raw jute could make it an attractive choice for the synthetic plastic sheet and the engendered green polymer nanocomposites. It was the first, and unique endeavor to produce natural colorful biodegradable sheets by utilizing natural ingredients: nanocellulose from raw jute and natural coloring material. It could be recommended that the acquired biodegradables have a prosperous future as a replacement for non-biodegradable traditional plastics.