Journal Article

Valorization of Borassus flabellifer sprout peel: synthesis and characterization of carboxymethyl cellulose for biodegradable packaging

Vignesh, S., Sathanya, P. S., Chandrasekar, V., Raja Rajeshwari, E., Baskaran, N.

2025

Overview

Borassus flabellifer (palmyra palm) is a versatile tree of the Arecaceae family, widely used for various applications. The peels of its sprouts, often discarded as waste, are a rich source of cellulose that can be utilized to produce biodegradable materials. The study focuses on synthesizing carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) from Borassus flabellifer sprout peel and evaluating its physicochemical, structural, and functional properties for the developed biodegradable films. CMC achieved a yield of 41.22%, with a degree of substitution of 0.26 ± 0.01, a moisture content of 10.79 ± 0.95%, and an ash content of 3.05 ± 0.81%, confirming high purity. FT-IR analysis confirmed the presence of carbonyl stretching peaks at 1726.29 cm −1 and 1157.29 cm −1 , while XRD peaks at 20.97° and 26.67° indicated reduced crystallinity and increased amorphous content. SEM analysis revealed significant structural modifications with a disordered morphology in the synthesized CMC. Thermal analysis showed a prominent endothermic peak at 160 °C, demonstrating thermal stability similar to commercial CMC. CMC was blended with PVA to develop biodegradable films evaluated for quality parameters. Increased BF-CMC concentration enhanced film opacity, moisture content, and GSM, while reducing thickness and transparency. Films plasticized with PEG showed lower moisture content and higher solubility compared to glycerol-plasticized films. Tensile strength improved with PEG addition, while higher PVA and lower CMC concentrations enhanced elongation percentage. Water vapour permeability was influenced by plasticizer type and concentration. The films demonstrated antimicrobial activity due to bioactive compounds in BF sprout peel, showing significant inhibition against pathogenic microorganisms and free radical scavenging activity. Biodegradability tests confirmed high degradation rates, with over 50% decomposition within 15 days, highlighting their potential as sustainable packaging materials. Graphical abstract

• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Antimicrobial activity / Bioactive compounds / Biodegradability / Biodegradable materials / Biodegradation / Biopolymers / Biotechnology / Borassus flabellifer / Carbonyl compounds / Carbonyls / Carboxymethyl cellulose / Carboxymethylcellulose / Cellulose / Energy / Environmental impact / Food / Food packaging / Free radicals / High density polyethylenes / Infrared analysis / Lignin / Microorganisms / Moisture content / Opacity / Original Article / Packaging / Packaging materials / Plastics / Polyethylene / Polymers / Recycling / Renewable and Green Energy / Renewable resources / Scavenging / Structure-function relationships / Sustainable materials / Sustainable packaging / Synthesis / Tensile strength / Textiles / Thermal analysis / Thermal stability / Thickness / Waste management / Water content / Water vapor