Characteristics Of Cogon Grass Fibre Reinforced Thermoplastic Cassava Starch Biocomposite: Water Absorption And Physical Properties

The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristic of thermoplastic cassava starch (TPCS) composites containing cogon grass fiber (CGF) in the range of 1, 3, and 5 wt. %. Initially, the mixture of TPCS and CGF are prepared by pre-mixing using a high-speed mixer at 3000 rpm for 12 min. Then, the thermoplastic composites were pressed at 160°C for 35 min by using a compression molding machine. The composites were characterized for its moisture content, water absorption, thickness swelling and water solubility characteristics. Inclusion of 5 wt. % loading had significantly reduced the thickness swelling and water solubility of the biocomposites by 5.38% and 7.82%, respectively, compared with the neat TPCS. The moisture content and water absorption of the composites did not show significant changes following the addition of CGF. Overall, the incorporation of CGF into TPCS has enhanced the functional properties of the composites for short-life product applications

Effect Of Cogon Grass Fibre On The Thermal, Mechanical And Biodegradation Properties Of Thermoplastic Cassava Starch Biocomposite

Thermoplastic cassava starch (TPCS) is a promising alternative material to replace the non-biodegradable petroleum based polymer due to its good environmental-friendly aspect i.e. abundant, sustainable, recyclable and biodegradable in nature. However, TPCS have some limitation such as poor mechanical properties. Therefore, in the present study, cogon grass fibre (CGF) were incorporated into TPCS using compression molding. Then the fundamental properties of CFG/TPCS biopolymer composites were carried out in order to evaluate their potential as a biodegradable reinforcement. From the study it was found that, the incorporation of CFG has improved the tensile and flexural properties of the TPCS composites, while the impact strength and elongation were reduced. The thermal properties of the biocomposite were reduced as the cogon grass fibres increase from 0 to 5%. In term of morphological, SEM shows good fibre adhesion between CGF and TPCS. Soil burial test shows that incorporation of CGF into TPCS has slow down the biodegradation process of the composites. Thus, CGF/TPCS biopolymer composites can be classified as composites with great potential as environmental-friendly material that biodegradable and renewabl