Cassava/sugar palm fiber reinforced cassava starch hybrid composites: Physical, thermal and structural properties

Ahmed Edhirej; S M Sapuan; Mohammad Jawaid; Nur Ismarrubie Zahari

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.03.045

Cassava/sugar palm fiber reinforced cassava starch hybrid composites: Physical, thermal and structural properties

Int J Biol Macromol. 2017 Aug:101:75-83. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.03.045. Epub 2017 Mar 10.

Authors

Ahmed Edhirej¹, S M Sapuan², Mohammad Jawaid³, Nur Ismarrubie Zahari⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Chemical and Material Engineering, Sabha University, Libya.
² Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Laboratory of Biocomposites Technology, Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products, University Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. Electronic address: sapuan@upm.edu.my.
³ Laboratory of Biocomposites Technology, Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products, University Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.

PMID: 28288881
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.03.045

Abstract

A hybrid composite was prepared from cassava bagasse (CB) and sugar palm fiber (SPF) using casting technique with cassava starch (CS) as matrix and fructose as a plasticizer. Different loadings of SPF (2, 4, 6 and 8% w/w of dry starch) were added to the CS/CB composite film containing 6% CB. The addition of SPF significantly influenced the physical properties. It increased the thickness while decreasing the density, water content, water solubility and water absorption. However, no significant effect was noticed on the thermal properties of the hybrid composite film. The incorporation of SPF increased the relative crystallinity up to 47%, compared to 32% of the CS film. SEM micrographs indicated that the filler was incorporated in the matrix. The film with a higher concentration of SPF (CS-CB/SPF8) showed a more heterogeneous surface. It could be concluded that the incorporation of SPF led to changes in cassava starch film properties, potentially affecting the film performances.

Keywords: Cassava bagasse; Cassava film; Hybrid composite; Physical properties; Sugar palm fiber; Thermal properties.

MeSH terms

Arecaceae / chemistry*
Food Packaging
Manihot / chemistry*
Solubility
Starch / chemistry*
Temperature*
Water / chemistry

Substances

Water
Starch