We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Green composites made of polyhydroxybutyrate and long-chain fatty acid esterified microcrystalline cellulose from pineapple leaf
Summary
Researchers developed fully degradable green biocomposites from polyhydroxybutyrate and esterified microcrystalline cellulose derived from pineapple leaf fibers, improving compatibility and mechanical properties for sustainable packaging alternatives.
Pineapple leaf fibres are an abundant agricultural waste product that contains 26.9% cellulose. The objective of this study was to prepare fully degradable green biocomposites made of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and microcrystalline cellulose from pineapple leaf fibres (PALF-MCC). To improve compatibility with PHB, the PALF-MCC was surface modified using lauroyl chloride as an esterifying agent. The influence of the esterified PALF-MCC laurate content and changes in the film surface morphology on biocomposite properties was studied. The thermal properties obtained by differential scanning calorimetry revealed a decrease in crystallinity for all biocomposites, with 100 wt% PHB displaying the highest values, whereas 100 wt% esterified PALF-MCC laurate showed no crystallinity. The addition of esterified PALF-MCC laurate increased the degradation temperature. The maximum tensile strength and elongation at break were exhibited when adding 5% of PALF-MCC. The results demonstrated that adding esterified PALF-MCC laurate as a filler in the biocomposite film could retain a pleasant value of tensile strength and elastic modulus whereas a slight increase in elongation can help to enhance flexibility. For soil burial testing, PHB/ esterified PALF-MCC laurate films with 5-20% (w/w) PALF-MCC laurate ester had higher degradation than films consisting of 100% PHB or 100% esterified PALF-MCC laurate. PHB and esterified PALF-MCC laurate derived from pineapple agricultural wastes are particularly suitable for the production of relatively low-cost biocomposite films that are 100% compostable in soil.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
A Biodegradable Composite of Poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) with Short Cellulose Fiber for Packaging
Researchers developed biodegradable composite materials by incorporating short cellulose fibers into PHBV biopolymer, addressing the polymer's narrow processing window and improving its suitability for sustainable packaging applications.
Valorization of agro-industrial waste from the cassava industry as esterified cellulose butyrate for polyhydroxybutyrate-based biocomposites
This study produced biodegradable biocomposites from cassava pulp microcrystalline cellulose and in-house synthesized polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) biopolymer. The cassava agro-industrial waste-based materials offer a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics for packaging applications, with the potential to reduce environmental microplastic accumulation.
Development of Biodegradable Rigid Foams from Pineapple Field Waste
Not relevant to microplastics — this paper develops biodegradable rigid foam materials from pineapple agricultural waste (starch and cellulose) as a sustainable packaging alternative to petroleum-based plastics.
Formulation of Composite Materials Using the Biomass from a Newly Developed Pineapple Leaf Fiber Extraction Process
Researchers developed a newly designed hydraulic fiber extraction and degumming process machine to extract fibers from discarded pineapple leaves and then formulated composite materials using the resulting pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) biomass. The study evaluated the mechanical, thermal, and structural properties of the composites, demonstrating that PALF is a viable low-density, high-tensile-strength reinforcement for sustainable bio-based materials.
Toward a Circular Bioeconomy: Development of Pineapple Stem Starch Composite as a Plastic-Sheet Substitute for Single-Use Applications
This paper is not about microplastics; it develops a biodegradable composite material from pineapple stem starch as a substitute for hard-to-recycle single-use plastic items.