Preparation And Properties Of Bionanocomposite Films Reinforced With Nanocellulose Isolated From Moroccan Alfa Fibres

Abstract Nanocellulose (NC) were extracted from the Moroccan Alfa plant (Stipa tenacissima L.) and characterised. These Alfa cellulosic nanoparticles were used as reinforcing phase to prepare bionanocomposite films using carboxymethyl cellulose as matrix. These films were obtained by the casting/evaporation method. The crystallinity of NC was analysed by X-ray diffraction, the dimension of NC by atomic force microscopy, molecular interactions due to incorporation of NC in carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) matrix were supported by Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The properties of the ensuing bionanocomposite films were investigated using tensile tests, water vapour permeability (WVP) study and thermogravimetric analysis. With the progress of purification treatment of cellulose, the crystallinity is improved compared to the untreated fibres; this can be explained by the disappearance of the amorphous areas in cellulose chain of the plant. Consequently, the tensile modulus and tensile strength of CMC film increased by 60 and 47%, respectively, in the bionanocomposite films with 10 wt% of NC, and decrease by 8.6% for WVP with the same content of NC. The NC obtained from the Moroccan Alfa fibres can be used as a reinforcing agent for the preparation of bionanocomposites, and they have a high potential for the development of completely biodegradable food packaging materials.