IMPROVED BARRIER BIO-COMPOSITE FILM BASED ON SEAWEED/ CELLULOSE NANO CRYSTAL

Abstract

This research studied is about development of seaweed biodegradable nanocomposite films reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from amla pomace and investigating the properties of the films. Study was conducted isolated CNCs are applied to developed bio composite biopolymer films. CNCs were extracted from Amla pomace by four steps process of depolymerization, bleaching, acid hydrolysis, and mechanical dispersion. CNC were incorporated with 1,3,5,7 percent (w/v) in K-Carrageenan matrix and physicochemical and thermal properties were determined later. Among the derivative of seaweeds, K-Carrageenan as polymer matrix and isolated CNCs and applied to Kappa-Carrageenan/CNCs films showed gradual decreasing of water absorption/solubility, water vapor permeability (WVP), oxygen permeability (OP), and light transmittance with increasing addition of CNCs. Also, addition of CNCs enhanced the tensile strength but elongation of kCRGN/CNCs films did not show the tendency due to its shrinkage. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results indicated that CNCs layers can be formed in the carrageenan polymer matrix, and the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra showed the chemical interaction between carrageenan polymer matrix and CNCs. Thermal stability test with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data suggested the addition of CNCs can improve the thermal properties of k-Carrageenan/CNCs film