Pineapple crown leaf fiber (PCLF) is one of the major biomass wastes from pineapple processing plants. It consists mostly of carbohydrate polymers, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. It can be further processed to form a more valuable and widely used nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC). This study investigates the effect of hydrolysis time on the properties of the produced NCC. The acid hydrolysis was conducted using 1 M of sulfuric acid at hydrolysis times of 1–3 h. The resulting NCCs were then characterized by their morphology, functional groups, crystallinity, thermal stability, elemental composition, and production yield. The results show that the NCC products had a rod-like particle structure and possessed a strong cellulose crystalline structure typically found in agricultural fiber-based cellulose. The highest NCC yield was obtained at 79.37% for one hour of hydrolysis. This NCC also displayed a higher decomposition temperature of 176.98 °C. The overall findings suggest that PCLF-derived NCC has attractive properties for a variety of applications.

Cellulose from the palm oil solid waste (oil palm shells and stems) be isolated and used as a filler material in a biodegradable plastic, in order to improve its mechanical properties. Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) is a biodegradable polymer and compatible for nanocellulose fillers, where its mechanical properties can reach the same level as the conventional plastic. In this study, nanocellulose has been successfully prepared from the oil palm shells and stems with acid hydrolysis method and applied as a filler for PVA/nanocellulose film composite. The characterizations include Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and mechanical properties (tensile and elongation). The FTIR and DSC analysis confirm the improvement of the mechanical properties after the addition of nanocellulose, where the tensile strength reaches 14.64 kgf/mm2 with the optimal thermal ratio at 203.5°C. Nevertheless, the addition of 20% nanocellulose reduces the value of tensile strength and elongation.

Agriculture wastes such as rice husk and rice husk ash have investigated as filler in film polypropylene composites. These wastes have potentiality as filler in polymer composites as reinforcement. In this study, the development of film polypropylene filled with rice husk and rice husk ask after preparing as nanofiller as the effect of filler loading has been done. Loading rice husk and rice husk ash into polypropylene matrix of 3 wt%, 6 wt%, and 9 wt% and compared with polypropylene which is not filled. Film polypropylene nanocomposites were analyzed the structure of functional group by FTIR, fracture surface by SEM, water absorption, tensile strength and elongation at break. The presence of silica in film composites has indicated at wavelength 1070 cm -1 in the form of the functional group of Si-O-Si. SEM image has shown that the films are not smooth when silica adding in the film composites, because of the aggregation of silica is not good dispersion in the polypropylene matrix. Water absorption of film polypropylene composites increases when increasing filler loading. The mechanical test has conducted the tensile strength of composites increase by increasing filler loading but elongation at break decrease by increasing filler loading. Polypropylene nanocomposites filled with rice husk ash have good performance than filled with rice husk because of chemical content in the filler loading.

Natural weathering of rice husk ash filled in polypropylene composite films has been investigated by exposing the samples to a tropical clime for 4 months with max-min temperature 22 - 30°C and relative humidity 75%. In this study, the film composites filled with rice husk ash for decay to get the composites that has good mechanical performance after exposure in natural weathering. Rise husk ash filled in film composite polypropylene effect of filler loading was 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5% and compare with neat composite. The silica from rice husk ash was isolated with acetic acid. The weathered film composites polypropylene was investigated before and after exposure and analysed the morphology with FTIR and SEM. Mechanical test for the film composites polypropylene take place for tensile strength and percentages of elongation at break. The result show that the tensile strength and percentages of elongation at break decrease after natural weathering. The average tensile strength of film composites polypropylene decrease about 64.54 ± 17.50% and the elongation at break of film composites polypropylene decrease about 49.33 ± 15.28%. The morphology of film composites change structure of chemical and fracture surface after natural weathering.

The current development of the packaging industry is increasing as well as the dependence of non-renewable oil-based materials encouraging researchers to look for alternative polymeric strengthening materials from biomass. Especially used from agricultural waste because it is cheap and widely available in nature and it can be renewed. In this study, agriculture waste used were rice husk and rice husks ash that prepared as organic nanofillers for the development of polymer nanocomposites. XRF analysis showed that rice husk ash has the highest silica (SiO2) content of 89. 835%, while rice husk has SiO2 contents of 82.540%. From XRD analysis on 2 theta there is a crystalline silica region at 22° and this analysis shows the sample is amorphous. FTIR analysis showed Si-H at peak 2339 cm−1 in rice husk and 2129 cm−1 for rice husk ash.