Chaturbhuj K. Saurabh

A review on chitosan-cellulose blends and nanocellulose reinforced chitosan biocomposites: Properties and their applications

Chitin is one of the most abundant natural polymers in world and it is used for the production of chitosan by deacetylation. Chitosan is antibacterial in nature, non-toxic, and biodegradable thus it can be used for the production of biodegradable film which is a green alternative to commercially available synthetic counterparts. However, their poor mechanical and thermal properties restricted its wide spread applications. Chitosan is highly compatible with other biopolymers thus its blending with cellulose and/or incorporation of nanofiber isolated from cellulose namely cellulose nanofiber and cellulose nanowhiskers are generally useful. Cellulosic fibers in nano scale are attractive reinforcement in chitosan to produce environmental friendly composite films with improved physical properties. Thus chitosan based composites have wide applicability and potential in the field of biomedical, packaging and water treatment. This review summarises properties and preparation procedure of chitosan-cellulose blends and nano size cellulose reinforcement in chitosan bionanocomposites for different applications.

Green Composites Made of Bamboo Fabric and Poly (Lactic) Acid for Packaging Applications—A Review

Petroleum based thermoplastics are widely used in a range of applications, particularly in packaging. However, their usage has resulted in soaring pollutant emissions. Thus, researchers have been driven to seek environmentally friendly alternative packaging materials which are recyclable as well as biodegradable. Due to the excellent mechanical properties of natural fibres, they have been extensively used to reinforce biopolymers to produce biodegradable composites. A detailed understanding of the properties of such composite materials is vital for assessing their applicability to various products. The present review discusses several functional properties related to packaging applications in order to explore the potential of bamboo fibre fabric-poly (lactic) acid composites for packaging applications. Physical properties, heat deflection temperature, impact resistance, recyclability and biodegradability are important functional properties of packaging materials. In this review, we will also comprehensively discuss the chronological events and applications of natural fibre biopolymer composites.

Isolation and Characterization of Cellulose Nanofibers from Gigantochloa scortechinii as a Reinforcement Material

Cellulose nanofibers CNF were isolated from Gigantochloa scortechinii bamboo fibers using sulphuric acid hydrolysis. This method was compared with pulping and bleaching process for bamboo fiber. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis were used to determine the properties of CNF. Structural analysis by FT-IR showed that lignin and hemicelluloses were effectively removed from pulp, bleached fibers, and CNF. It was found that CNF exhibited uniform and smooth morphological structures, with fiber diameter ranges from 5 to 10 nm. The percentage of crystallinity was significantly increased from raw fibers to cellulose nanofibers, microfibrillated, along with significant improvement in thermal stability. Further, obtained CNF were used as reinforcement material in epoxy based nanocomposites where tensile strength, flexural strength, and modulus of nanocomposites improved with the addition of CNF loading concentration ranges from 0 to 0.7%.

Cellulose Reinforced Biodegradable Polymer Composite Film for Packaging Applications

This chapter provides a broad overview of bionanocomposite film prepared from various biodegradable polymers reinforced with nanocellulose. In nature, biodegradable polymer exhibits relatively weaker properties than the synthetic polymers. Incorporation of cellulose into the biopolymer matrix has improved the mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties of the resulting biopolymer film significantly. This achievement has encouraged their application as packaging material. Since they have a huge potential in the future, further investigation of this composite material is crucial.

Biodegradable Films for Fruits and Vegetables Packaging Application: Preparation and Properties

Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables are highly perishable commodities. Packaging forms an important tool to maintain the shelf life of packed fresh-cut agricultural produce. Petroleum-based films are conventionally used for fresh fruits and vegetables. However, being nonbiodegradable and derivability from nonrenewable resources, these films lead towards serious ecological problems. To address this issue, various efforts have been focused on renewable and biodegradable films obtained from biopolymers. Widely studied biopolymers for film preparation are derived from biomass (gelatin, starch, cellulose, etc.), microbes (polyhydroxyalkanoates), and bio-derived monomers (polylactic acid). However, such films possess poor mechanical and barrier properties as compared to their commercial counterparts. Incorporation of various additives has been proposed to improve the film characteristics. In the present review, comprehensive information has been provided on different methodologies for film fabrication, properties, and applications of stand-alone bio-based films for packaging of fresh-cut produce. Furthermore, successful commercial implementation of such film is also summarized.

Nanofibrillated cellulose reinforcement in thermoset polymer composites

The development of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) composite using renewable and biodegradable materials is extensively reviewed in this article. Excellent mechanical properties, remarkable reinforcing capabilities, low density, thermal stability, and environmental benefits of cellulose have gained the interest of researchers in utilizing fibers as reinforced materials. Nanobased polymer composites utilize the advantages of each component and thus hold functional superiority over conventional polymer-based materials. NFC composites are widely researched materials because of their high strength, functional properties, and wide applicability. This article discusses characterization and various chemical and mechanical treatments for isolation of NFC. Incorporation of obtained NFC in thermoset composites and its subsequent processing and properties, along with diverse applications, are also discussed. Chronological events on the development of NFC composites are also provided. The aim of this chapter is to shed some light on the current state of development in the field of NFC-based composites.