Water absorption and environmental properties of thermoplastic cassava starch reinforced with durian skin fiber

Abstract

In recent, the efforts to reduce environmental pollution by developing biodegradable material has received wide interest. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of durian skin fiber (DSF) on the properties of thermoplastic cassava starch (TPCS) matrix as the biodegradable material. The composites were prepared by using hot press technique to convert the starch into thermoplastic starch polymer. The effects of incorporating different amount of DSF (0-50 wt.%) on the matrix was evaluated using several testings, i.e., water absorptions, water solubility, thickness swelling, moisture content, biodegradation analysis and density measurement. The results show that incorporation of DSF has reduce the water absorption characteristic of the material. Thickness swelling of the sample were increase following the addition of DSF into the TPCS matrix, indicating improve environmentally friendly properties. Water solubility of the composites showed a decreasing trend with increasing DSF content. The morphology of the samples shows adhesion of fiber and matrix which indicates good compatibility between this component. Meanwhile, there is no apparent changes on the density of the composites following the incorporation of fiber. Overall, this finding shows that DSF has potential to improve the functional characteristics of TPCS matrix as alternative green material.