Cassava bagasse as a reinforcement agent in the polymeric blend of
biodegradable films
Guilherme Ribeiro de Carvalho,
1
Geovana Silva Marques,
1
Luiz Mario de Matos Jorge,
2
Regina Maria Matos Jorge
1
1
Department of Chemical Engineering, Graduate Program in Chemical Engineering, Federal University of Paraná – UFPR, Avenue
Coronel Francisco Heráclito dos Santos, S/N, Curitiba, Paraná 81531-980, Brazil
2
Department of Chemical Engineering, Graduate Program in Chemical Engineering, State University of Maringa – UEM, Avenue
Colombo, 5790, Maringa, Paraná 87020-900, Brazil
Correspondence to: R. M. M. Jorge (rjorge@ufpr.br)
ABSTRACT: The objective of this work was to develop biodegradable films using fibrous residue from the extraction of cassava starch
and to investigate its effect as a reinforcement agent in polymeric films. Micrographs (SEM) showed that the obtained films presented
smooth surfaces with no cracking. The addition of fibers affected the properties of the films significantly (p < 0.05), reducing water
vapor permeability values (from 8.63 0.15 × 10
-11
g.m.m
-2
.s
-1
.Pa
-1
to 3.33 0.16 × 10
-11
g.m.m
-2
.s
-1
.Pa
-1
) and increasing the
maximum tensile strength (from 1.23 0.15 MPa to 7.78 0.83 MPa). These results encourage the use of cassava bagasse as a rein-
forcement in the production of green composites as packaging. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 47224.
KEYWORDS: green composites; mechanical properties; starch; water vapor permeability
Received 19 April 2018; accepted 14 September 2018
DOI: 10.1002/app.47224
INTRODUCTION
Synthetic plastics industry is constantly evolving to meet global
demands. As a result of this action, the annual production of
nonbiodegradable plastics reached 322 million tons in the world
in 2015, and plastic food packaging were responsible for 40% of
world production.
1
In parallel to the high production of plastics is the high volume
of discard of these materials after use. The improper disposal of
synthetic plastic packaging from petrochemical origin represents
an environmental problem, which is aggravated annually.
2
As a
result, researches in the field of biodegradable polymeric mate-
rials and composites have been carried out to preserve the envi-
ronment and to improve the quality of developed materials and
life in society.
3,4
Among researches in this area, the number of
studies that address the application of natural resources in the
preparation of materials increases, especially renewable polymer
matrices and natural fibers.
Biodegradable films are packaging materials produced from
renewable and biodegradable sources. They are a promising alter-
native to replace, at least in part, conventional synthetic polymers
of plastic packaging.
5,6
The functionality and performance of
biodegradable films depend on their mechanical and water vapor
permeability (WVP) properties, which in turn depend on the film
composition, forming process, and method of application in the
product.
7
Among the renewable possibilities, cassava starch is considered a
polymer with high potential to produce biodegradable packaging,
because of its low cost and abundance for industrial scale use. In
addition, it is biodegradable when released into the environ-
ment.
8,9
Despite the benefits of this renewable source for the pro-
duction of bioplastics, its application in food packaging is still
restricted, as inferior physical and barrier properties challenge its
implementation.
10
To solve application problems, special treat-
ments are required to the film, such as the addition of vegetable
fibers and other additives, such as glycerol, to improve mechani-
cal, thermal, and water contact properties.
11,12
The use of different compounds in the polymer blend is
reported in the literature aiming to give specific properties to
the films produced. Some authors have studied the addition of
natural fibers, such as luffa fiber,
13
kenaf fiber,
14
cotton
fibers,
15
bamboo fibers,
16
and rice bark fibers,
4
as reinforcing
agents. Debiagi et al.,
17
used poly(vinyl alcohol) to improve
mechanical and water vapor barrier properties, and essential
oils as antimicrobial agents in the production of biodegradable
trays based on cassava bagasse. Edhirej et al.
18
used different
types of plasticizers (fructose, urea, tri-ethylene glycol, and
© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
47224 (1 of 7) J. APPL. POLYM. SCI. 2018, DOI: 10.1002/APP.47224