Sustainable green composite of yam and agricultural waste corn stalk fiber with good mechanical, thermal, optical, aging performance and excellent biodegradability

Abstract

Sustainable green composites with safe biodegradability produced using environmentally benign materials are required as modern-day alternatives for harmful synthetic materials. Agricultural waste such as corn stalks and underutilized natural polymer sources such as yam are significant potential candidates in this regard. In our work, a green composite of yam and alkali-treated corn stalk fiber was prepared through a simple solution casting and oven-drying method. The successfully prepared green composites displayed good mechanical and thermal properties as the corn stalk fibers effectively reinforced the yam bioplastic matrix. Spectral studies such as FTIR, SEM, and p-XRD confirmed the probable structural changes and formation of the composites. Prepared green composites possessed high resistance and good thermal (−2 °C and 70 °C), UV (254 nm for 180 hours), and chemical aging properties along with low moisture absorption behavior. Further, the green composites showed excellent biodegradable nature under normal environmental conditions. Thus, potentially capable green composite for applications in packaging, biomedical, automobile, and construction sectors was reported here.