Barrier, Mechanical and Morphological Properties of Biodegradable Films Based on Corn Starch Incorporated with Cellulose Obtained from Pineapple Crowns

Abstract

This work aimed to develop biodegradable composites formed from corn starch-based films and cellulose extracted from pineapple crown residue. Fibers obtained from the crowns underwent alkaline treatment, followed by bleaching. Cellulose was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). These analyses verified that the process was effective in isolating cellulose fibers. The biocomposites were then produced via casting and with cellulose of different concentrations (5%, 10%, 15%). These biocomposites were less soluble in water than the pure starch film, and the film with 15% cellulose had lower water vapor permeability rate (WVPR) compared to pure starch film. In terms of the thermal characterization, there were no significant variations in the melting and gelatinization temperatures of the films. When analyzing the mechanical properties, it was seen that the Young’s modulus of the biocomposites increased in relation to the starch film, in which the composite with a 15% increase of 377.76%. Regarding the tensile strength, there were no differences between preferences, probably due to the dispersion of the fibers.