Abstract
Thermoplastic starch-polyvinyl alcohol composite films were prepared by casting method with cellulose nanofibers as reinforcement agent and glycerol as plasticizer. The obtained cellulose nanofibers with a diameter of 27.23±8.21 nm were isolated from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFBs) by mechanical treatment. The addition of cellulose nanofibers until 3 wt% increased tensile strength and crystallinity of the composite films. In contrast, it decreased their elongation at break and water vapor transmission rate. Meanwhile, the addition of glycerol increased elongation at break and water vapor transmission rate of film matrix but lowers tensile strength of composite films.
Highlights
Petroleum-based packaging has caused serious environmental problems because it does not decompose in nature
This study is concerned with the production of Thermoplastic starch (TPS)/Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite films with addition of cellulose nanofibers from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFBs) as reinforcing agent and glycerol as plasticizer
TPS-PVA composite films with addition of cellulose nanofibers were prepared by solution casting method
Summary
Petroleum-based packaging has caused serious environmental problems because it does not decompose in nature. Because of its low cost, biodegradability, and availability, starch is one of the most natural polymers attractively studied for application of food packaging. Thermoplastic starch (TPS) is produced through destruction of starch granular using shear forces at high temperature in presence of plasticizer This process happens by breaking hydrogen bonds between the starch macromolecules, coinciding with a partial depolymerization of starch backbone [3]. The addition of cellulose nanofibers as International Journal of Polymer Science reinforcement agent into TPS production has been studied by some researchers. All results showed that the addition of cellulose nanofibers increases the mechanical performance of TPS films. The use of OPEFBs as a nanosized reinforcement agent in the composite production is one alternative to improve the added value of OPEFBs. This study is concerned with the production of TPS/PVA composite films with addition of cellulose nanofibers from OPEFBs as reinforcing agent and glycerol as plasticizer. The effect of cellulose nanofibers content and glycerol on the properties of TPS/PVA matrix was evaluated by some analyses
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