Biodegradable Polyvinyl Alcohol Composite Film Reinforced by Crystalline Nanocellulose from Rice Straw

Polymer films show the best versatility, low cost, and permeability in packaging purpose. On the contrary, these synthetic materials have a lengthy environmental half-life, cannot be broken down by natural microbes, and increase the formation of solid waste. The synthetic polymer polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is completely dissolves in water and harmless. It has several uses, including controlled medication delivery systems, polymers recycling, film creation, and packaging. Using PVA and crystalline nanocellulose (CNC) as raw materials, PVA/CNC nanofiber membranes were prepared by solvent casting. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Water vapor permeability (WVP), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and tensile strength were used to describe the characteristics of the film. The tensile strength of the PVA/CNC composite film improved significantly: with 2 % CNC content, the tensile strength 157.6 % increase compared to original PVA. The WVP of PVA markedly reduced 32.4 % after adding 4 % CNC. These properties are suitable for applications in various technologies such as food and packaging.