Physico-chemical and thermal degradation characteristics of marine red macroalgae for sustainable packaging applications

Abstract

This study aims to examine the characteristics of Eucheuma cottonii, Gracilaria verrucosa, and Acanthophora spicifera red macroalgae. Eucheuma cottonii showed an average particle size of 58 μm, while Gracilaria verrucosa and Acanthophora spicifera were 84 μm and 72 μm, respectively. Besides, Eucheuma cottonii presented the lowest band of hydroxyl groups, exhibiting the formation of greater intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The red macroalgae biopolymer films were fabricated via a solvent-casting technique. The optimum performance was achieved from Eucheuma cottonii macroalgae with the tensile strength, puncture resistance, and contact angle reached 27.38 MPa, 6.72 N, and 72.58°, respectively. The increase in storage time for six months resulted in a slight decrease in the water barrier and film transparency. It appears feasible to use these red macroalgae as promising sustainable marine biomasses for practical use in eco-friendly packaging materials since the red macroalgae films showed good mechanical, water barrier, and biodegradability properties.