Sustainable use of cassava (Manihot esculenta) roots as raw material for biocomposites development

FLORENCIA VERSINO; OLIVIA VALERIA LÓPEZ; MARÍA ALEJANDRA GARCÍA

Industrial Crops and Products

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2015 vol. 65 p. 79 - 89

0926-6690

This work is focused on the use of cassava roots peel and bagasse as natural fillers of TPS materials basedon cassava starch. A deep insight into biocomposites microstructure was performed in order to sup-port mechanical and barrier properties of the final materials. Cassava byproducts chemical compositionand particle size distribution helped to explain TPS SEM morphology, mechanical and barrier propertiesmodifications. Processing conditions favored starch-filler interactions leading to lower mixing energyrequirements. The matrix-filler compatibility was demonstrated by FTIR and thermal analysis of TPS com-posites. Filler addition increased UV-barrier capacity and opacity of TPS materials, though water vaporpermeability was maintained. Both byproducts reinforce TPS matrices even though low filler concen-trations were used. Bagasse addition (1.5%) increased 260% elastic modulus and 128% maximum tensilestress of TPS composites, being the most efficient reinforcing agent due to its high residual starch contentand lower proportion of smaller particles.