Effect of Alkaline Treatment on Mechanical Properties of Pineapple Leaf Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic Cassava Starch Composite

The widespread use of plastics has resulted in a significant accumulation of plastic waste in the environment.Hence, bio-based plastics have emerged as a promising alternative and are gaining commercial traction.Thermoplastic starch (TPS) is one of the materials used in the production of bioplastic films.Despite its environmental advantages, TPS has limitations, such as poor mechanical strength and high moisture absorption.Thus, this study aims to explore the potential of pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) as a reinforcing agent to improve the properties of thermoplastic cassava starch.PALF was treated with NaOH to enhance its characteristics.The physical and mechanical properties of both treated and untreated PALF were measured.The findings show that the treated TPCS/PALF composite with 8% PALF loading exhibited the highest tensile stress (1.14 MPa) and modulus (32.02MPa) among the tested biocomposites.However, the inclusion of PALF at all filler levels resulted in a decrease in elongation at break.Physic al tests also revealed a significant reduction in moisture content in both treated and untreated TPCS/PALF composites, although water absorption increased with higher fiber loadings.Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis indicated notable changes in the physicochemical structure of the treated TPCS/PALF composites compared to the untreated ones.