utilized for molding and extrusion applications. A cellophane film was produced by
dissolving cellulose in carbon-disulfide and sodium hydroxide mixture to make
cellulose xanthate and then recasting them in sulfuric acid solution to produce
cellophane film, suitable for food packaging applications [21].
Cellulose acetate-based nanocomposites comprising modified montmorillonite,
triethyl citrate (plasticizer), and thymol (antimicrobial) have shown real promise to
use it them for food packaging applications [22]. Modified form of cellulose like
hydroxypropyl methylcellulose with silver nanoparticle matrix has also shown good
ability to use it for food packaging [23]. The modification of cellulose fibers with
other polymers or plasticizers increases their tensile strength and mechanical properties, e.g., PVA reinforced cellulose fiber showed increased tensile strength, thereby
making composite films more suitable for packaging [24]. Dicarboxylic cellulose
and α-hydroxysulfonic acid cellulose (HSAC) both modified cellulose fibers can be
transformed into nature-friendly film materials. They have exhibited good mechanical properties like 9.6 GPa modulus and 47.0 MPa tensile strength [25].
Trifluroacetic acids (TFA), which are naturally organic and completely biodegradable, have the ability to transform agro-wastes abundant in cellulose to
bioplastics material through aging them in TFA solution [26]. The mechanical
property of biopolymers (brittle and rigid, soft and stretchable) varies according to
the type of plant species and their chemical composition. Cellulose in TFA solutions
can be blended with vegetable waste solutions to attain plasticization, and these
plasticized materials are having the ability to replace petrochemical-based plastics
[27]. Cellulose acetate, a cellulose derivative produced commercially worldwide,
has the great capability to be used for food packaging applications (baked food, fresh
food). So far many studies were carried out by adding cellulose fibers to starch-based
films [28, 29], PLA (Sanchez-Garcia and Lagaron [30], and PHBV films [31]; it has
been proved that they can be potentially be utilized for food packaging applications.
Cellulose fibers can be blended with PLA to produce biopolymer matrix material,
but there exists the challenge of uniformly distributing the cellulose fibers in PLA
matrix [32]. The hydroxyl groups present on the surface of cellulose fibers sometimes will join together and form agglomerate that results in crack formation and
composite breakdown. The addition of surfactants [33], silylation [34], grafting [35],
and acetylation [36] were followed to improve the dispersion mechanism, and
significant progress has been achieved.
2.3 Polylactic Acid (PLA)
PLA is a completely biodegradable polymer manufactured from both fossil and
renewable resources, and it’s proven to have potential to replace commercial polymers like HDPE, LDPE, PS, and PET [37]. Bacterial fermentation of corn or cane
sugar is performed to manufacture lactic acid (LA), which is then converted to PLA
through ring opening polymerization of LA with the use of a catalyst (shown in
Fig. 2). This mechanism has been followed because normal method of
Recent Developments in Food-Based Bioplastics Production
113
dissolving cellulose in carbon-disulfide and sodium hydroxide mixture to make
cellulose xanthate and then recasting them in sulfuric acid solution to produce
cellophane film, suitable for food packaging applications [21].
Cellulose acetate-based nanocomposites comprising modified montmorillonite,
triethyl citrate (plasticizer), and thymol (antimicrobial) have shown real promise to
use it them for food packaging applications [22]. Modified form of cellulose like
hydroxypropyl methylcellulose with silver nanoparticle matrix has also shown good
ability to use it for food packaging [23]. The modification of cellulose fibers with
other polymers or plasticizers increases their tensile strength and mechanical properties, e.g., PVA reinforced cellulose fiber showed increased tensile strength, thereby
making composite films more suitable for packaging [24]. Dicarboxylic cellulose
and α-hydroxysulfonic acid cellulose (HSAC) both modified cellulose fibers can be
transformed into nature-friendly film materials. They have exhibited good mechanical properties like 9.6 GPa modulus and 47.0 MPa tensile strength [25].
Trifluroacetic acids (TFA), which are naturally organic and completely biodegradable, have the ability to transform agro-wastes abundant in cellulose to
bioplastics material through aging them in TFA solution [26]. The mechanical
property of biopolymers (brittle and rigid, soft and stretchable) varies according to
the type of plant species and their chemical composition. Cellulose in TFA solutions
can be blended with vegetable waste solutions to attain plasticization, and these
plasticized materials are having the ability to replace petrochemical-based plastics
[27]. Cellulose acetate, a cellulose derivative produced commercially worldwide,
has the great capability to be used for food packaging applications (baked food, fresh
food). So far many studies were carried out by adding cellulose fibers to starch-based
films [28, 29], PLA (Sanchez-Garcia and Lagaron [30], and PHBV films [31]; it has
been proved that they can be potentially be utilized for food packaging applications.
Cellulose fibers can be blended with PLA to produce biopolymer matrix material,
but there exists the challenge of uniformly distributing the cellulose fibers in PLA
matrix [32]. The hydroxyl groups present on the surface of cellulose fibers sometimes will join together and form agglomerate that results in crack formation and
composite breakdown. The addition of surfactants [33], silylation [34], grafting [35],
and acetylation [36] were followed to improve the dispersion mechanism, and
significant progress has been achieved.
2.3 Polylactic Acid (PLA)
PLA is a completely biodegradable polymer manufactured from both fossil and
renewable resources, and it’s proven to have potential to replace commercial polymers like HDPE, LDPE, PS, and PET [37]. Bacterial fermentation of corn or cane
sugar is performed to manufacture lactic acid (LA), which is then converted to PLA
through ring opening polymerization of LA with the use of a catalyst (shown in
Fig. 2). This mechanism has been followed because normal method of
Recent Developments in Food-Based Bioplastics Production
113