The Mechanical and Morphological Properties of Nano Pineapple Crown Fiber (PCF) incorporated in Polyvinyl Alcohol, Carboxymethyl Cellulose (PVA/CMC) Bio-Nanocomposite for Food Packaging Applications

Abstract

The essence of this study was to fabricate carboxymethyl cellulose polyvinyl alcohol (PVA/CMC) films and to improve
their mechanical and morphological properties by using pineapple crown Nano fiber (PCF) as a reinforcement. The films
were developed by incorporating PCF into the PVA/CMC (2:1) in 0wt.%, 3wt.%, 5 wt.%, and 7wt.% respectively, by the
solution casting method in water as a solvent and 4.5 wt.% glycerol as a plasticizer. The particle size distribution of the
treated pineapple crown fiber (PCF) powder was analyzed by TEM, revealing nanoscale, largely spherical particles ranging
from 2.7 to 6.4 nm (average ≈4.5 nm). The dispersion of the Nano PCF contents in the film was analyzed by SEM, and it
shows a more uniform dispersion of fibers within the polymer matrix and an enhanced interfacial contact. Thermal stability,
degradation properties, and crystallinity were also studied. The biodegradability of cast films was also carried out by the
soil burial method, and degradation increased as the number of days went by. 71% and 65% biodegradability was observed
in 15 and 30 days for samples with 5wt.% and 3 wt.% PCF respectively. Tensile properties of blended film were tested,
and it was found that the tensile strength 27.7MPa, % elongation at break 12.80%, and modulus of elasticity 2299MPa are
higher in the blend with 3wt.% (PCF-B) as compared with the neat PVA/CMC film. This result tells the viability of this
bio-nanocomposite material to be used in food packaging.