A taguchi approach to optimizing cassava bagasse packaging: Exploring the effects of peel fraction, plasticizer combinations, and material concentration

Researchers are becoming more interested in biodegradable packaging materials as a consequence of the environmental pollution generated by conventional packaging materials. In the present study, the major industrial waste generated in the cassava starch processing industry was effectively utilized by creating a biodegradable, natural film from cassava bagasse as the main ingredient. The Taguchi L9 Orthogonal Array Design was utilized to generate nine films through solvent casting techniques, using peel fractions, plasticizers, and cassava-bagasse concentrations as variables with three levels. The characteristics of the films were examined using color, thickness, density, mechanical properties, moisture content , solubility, swelling index, FT-IR, and scanning electron microscopy . The sclerenchyma layer was responsible for the development of a film with a brownish coloration, as evidenced by the reduction of the L* value and the increase of the a* and b* values. Film thickness (0.265–0.578 mm), density (0.689–1.873 g cm −3 ), and swelling index (69.064 – 472.200 %) increased as the material concentration increased, whereas solubility (34.145–18.588 %) and moisture content (25.235–11.315 %) decreased. In general, the 5 % (w/v) of the material concentration films exhibited impressive mechanical characteristics. Similar FT-IR spectra of the films indicated that their functional groups were identical. The Taguchi analysis revealed that the concentration of cassava bagasse had the most significant impact on the film performances, followed by the combinations of plasticizers and peel fractions. The current study demonstrated the potential application of cassava bagasse in biodegradable film formulation. • Evaluated the effect of peel fraction, bagasse concentration, and plasticizer. • Sclerenchyma peel fraction caused brown films with elevated a* , b* values. • FT-IR showed no major chemical shifts from peel or plasticizer variations. • Bagasse concentration most impacted film performance followed by peel fraction.