Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Award Date

2022

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Dairy and Food Science

First Advisor

Srinivas Janaswamy

Keywords

Cellulose, Prairie cordgrass, ZnCl2, CaCl2, Cations, Biopolymers, Glycerol, NaOH, Films.

Abstract

Plastics are versatile and cost-effective materials with a wide variety of functionalities. Their non-biodegradability, however, is an environmental concern. Plastic waste accumulation in landfills and natural habitats results in health issues, mainly due to the leaching of chemicals from plastic products that further transfer to humans and wildlife. Many countries around the globe have imposed restrictions on plastic use. Despite these concerted efforts, a pressing scientific need exists to find an alternative to plastics. Cellulose from abundant agricultural biomass stands out as a viable alternative due to its robust structure, biocompatibility, biodegradability, low density, and non-toxicity. This research aims to develop biodegradable films from prairie cordgrass cellulose and determine the effect of CaCl2, biopolymers, divalent cations, and glycerol on film properties. The white cellulose extract was obtained via bleaching treatment and eliminating hemicellulose and lignin from the biomass. Another protocol of NaOH extraction was also tested to retain trace amounts of lignin and hemicellulose and study how their presence impacts film characteristics. The extracted cellulose has been solubilized in ZnCl2 solution and cross-linked through a series of Ca2+ ions (CaCl2 concentration from 200 to 500 mM). In addition, films with 200 mM CaCl2 have been selected as control, and the effect of biopolymers (iota carrageenan and chitosan), cations (Fe2+, Cd2+, Sr2+, Ba2+, Mg2+, and Mn2+) and glycerol (5, 10 and 15%) has been studied. xxi Results suggest that increased calcium ions concentration significantly increases the film's tensile strength but decreases moisture content, transparency, moisture absorption, water solubility, water vapor permeability, and percentage elongation. The films biodegrade within 30 days. Adding biopolymers and cations yields much stronger films with increased resistance to water vapor permeability. Film flexibility improves with glycerol amount. Overall, cellulose-based films from prairie cordgrass could offer a sustainable solution to limit the problems associated with petroleum-based plastic packaging.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Biodegradable products.
Cellulose -- Biodegradation.
Spartina.

Number of Pages

174

Publisher

South Dakota State University

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Rights Statement

In Copyright