Edible film biocomposite based on cassava starch/soy lecithin reinforced by sugarcane bagasse fiber: mechanical, morphological and moisture properties.

Abstract

Edible film biocomposite (EFB) is a kind of materials able to substitute the non-biodegradable plastics. This idea is one of the breakthroughs in reducing plastic waste which is not environmentally friendly. EFB is an environmentally-safe and biocompostable material. This research explores and fabricate EFB from tapioca starch, soy lecithin and sugarcane bagasse fiber (SBF). The SBF was varied by 1, 2, and 3% (from dry starch) into the cassava starch/soy lecithin matrix. The production of EFB was solution casting. A tensile machine and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) observed the tensile properties and fracture surface characteristics. The results present that the highest value of tensile strength is in EFB (2% SBF) of 0.823 MPa. The tensile modulus shows a similar trend in values for this EFB of 0.523 MPa. In addition, the fracture surface provides information that a rough surface indicates a good bond between the matrix and the fiber. These two observations confirm that the matrix has successfully transferred the tensile load to the reinforcement. Meanwhile, the results of resistance to moisture resistance also experienced an increasing trend of around 4% from unreinforced specimens.