Binding agent for biodegradable compression molded rice straw filled rice bran packaging products

Abstract

Rice bran (RB) has been used as a natural fibre in polyolefin which results in lower mechanical properties and low interfacial adhesion that need a coupling agent or binder at higher loading. Rice bran (RB) and rice straw (RS) which both is low cost materials were developed in the processing of biodegradable packaging by using compression moulding technique. Glycerol, rice starch and polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) have been used as binding agent in this study where their physical (mechanical, chemical, and thermal) properties were studied base on the percentage of binding agent used in RB/RS. Rice starch and PVAc increased the tearing strength and tensile strength of RB/RS. This was continued by fracture surface analysis using inverted microscopy where RS is clearly visible of phase separated without binding agent as compared to RS with binding agent. Although rice starch and PVAc exhibited good mechanical properties, but they showed poor water resistance because of high in hydrophilic molecular structure. Starch influenced the rapid thermal degradation of RB/RS. By incorporation of PVAc in RB/RS, thermal stability property is increased.