Growing environmental concerns about plastic pollution have increased the demand for sustainable alternatives, especially in packaging. Bioplastics like polylactic acid (PLA) offer promising biodegradable solutions, but their inherent brittleness and limited mechanical properties restrict their broader use. To overcome these limitations, this research aims to develop a novel PLA-based biocomposites by incorporating cellulose fibers and a compatibilizer. Cellulose fiber is an attractive component for developing high-performance, eco-friendly materials due to its excellent mechanical properties, biodegradability, and wide range of applications. The mechanical and structural properties of the novel PLA-based biocomposites were thoroughly evaluated through tensile testing, bending testing, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray computed tomography (CT), and Izod impact testing. The results indicate that incorporating corn starch as a compatibilizer enhances the tensile strength of the composite by up to 20% compared to neat PLA.
Additionally, biodegradation was tested based on ASTM D5338, and the results demonstrated that the presence of cellulose fiber and bio-based compatibilizer had a synergistic effect on the degradation of the composites. Given its bio-based nature, the novel composites have the potential to enhance mechanical properties, improve barrier performance and biodegradability and reduce costs, making it a sustainable and competitive alternative to conventional bioplastics.
