Fabrication and characterization of environmentally friendly biopolymeric nanocomposite films from cellulose nanocrystal of banana M. Oranta (Sagar kala) tree rachis fibers and poly lactic acid: A new route

To maintain the huge demand of the overgrowing population of this globe nowadays, we are extremely dependent on various synthetic plastic materials. Hence, every moment, both industries and mankind generate a huge amount of plastic waste, which has lately been recognized as a breakneck for the total environment. Therefore, to solve this particular problem, it is very crucial to replace fossil-based synthetic plastic materials with biopolymers for viable environmental protection. However, the scheming of biopolymers from their natural sources has been recognized as an immense challenge in the earlier few decades owing to the insufficiency regarding the critical understanding of the handling of starting materials. Yet, scientists have been exasperating to improve a new route of production of bioplastic and polymeric materials to solve this issue. However, in this work, we focus on the sustainable/green route of bio-nanocomposite film production from agro-waste biomass. Whereas the raw fibers and crystalline nanocellulose (CNC) were extracted from the rachis of bananas (M. oranta). Inversely, the solid polylactic acid (PLA) was purified by dissolving in a particular organic solvent (like chloroform) for better nanocomposite fabrication. Then, by employing the prominent EIPS method, the CNC-PLA bionanocomposite films were fabricated to improve their overall properties. The specimens were characterized by FTIR-ATR, TGA, DTA, DTG, SEM, XRD, and BDA analysis. The observed outcomes recommended that the newly manufactured biopolymeric CNC-PLA films have greater thermal steadiness up to 600°C, a relatively higher crystallinity index value (about 86.09±0.001%), possess considerable active binding sites like OH, COOH, C-O-C, NH, etc., and exhibit good surface morphology and biodegradability. Due to these outstanding properties, the newly produced CNC-PLA bionanocomposites would be beneficially used in bulk-scale industrial, engineering, and bio-medical sectors as a sustainable replacement for the existing fossil-based hazardous synthetic ones to develop a green and healthy environment.