Biobased Polystyrene Foam-like Material from Crosslinked Cassava Starch and Nanocellulose from Sugarcane Bagasse

Abstract

This research aimed to study the effect of lignin, natural rubber latex (NRL), nanocellulose, and talc on production of biobased foam using cassava starch as matrix. Comparison study on lignin extraction from sugarcane bagasse (SCB) for different types of base (KOH and NaOH), concentration (10 %w/w and 40 %w/w), and temperatures (60 C for 3 h and 120 C for 1 h) was performed. The most suitable isolation condition giving the highest yield of lignin and lowest hemicellulose contamination was 40 %KOH at 120 oC for 1 h. A mechanical method was superior to a chemical method for cellulose size reduction owing to more appropriate size distribution and uniformity of nanocellulose. The most favorable proportion of foam contained 20% nanocellulose, 3% talc, 0.1% NRL, 38.5% water, and 76.9% crosslinked cassava starch. These conditions resulted in favorable flexural strength, modulus, and percentage of elongation, analogous to polystyrene foam. An appropriate amount of added lignin increased the elasticity of biofoam.

Keywords

• Biobased foam
• Nanocellulose
• Lignin additive
• Natural rubber latex
• Thermal compression molding
• Water drop test
• Hydrophobic surface