Effect of glycerol concentration as a biocoating on lotus leaf fracture improvement

This study investigated the fracture improvement of dried lotus leaves using glycerol, beeswax, and chitosan as coating agents. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of glycerol on lotus leaf fracture improvement. The optimum glycerol content for biocoating was investigated using the recovery percentage of lotus leaves after coating, which indicates the elastic properties of lotus leaves. The 27% recovery rate was increased after treatment with 5 g chitosan, 24% v/v glycerol, and 76% v/v acetic solution for 1 d of immersion. The moisture content and thickness of the coated lotus leaves increased by 38% and 7.1%, respectively. Meanwhile, the contact angle decreased by 24% because of the increase in moisture content. Moreover, the mechanical properties showed that Young’s modulus decreased by 76% and the elongation increased by 78% after coating because of the improved fracture of dried lotus leaves. Additionally, thermal stability was increased compared with that of dried lotus leaves according to thermal analysis.