No abstract

Composites consisting of a polymeric matrix and renewable resources have attracted scientific attention due to the idea of sustainable development. The objective of this study was to blend the polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) and oil palm ashes (OPA) using solution casting approach. The results revealed that increasing the OPA loading in PVOH film would decrease both tensile strength and elongation at break of the blended films. The morphology of the tensile fractured surface was examined which supported the result obtained from tensile properties. Also, the thermal characteristics of PVOH/OPA films were studied. The glass transition temperature and crystallization temperature were increased when the OPA loading was increased. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the thermal stability of PVOH/OPA film was higher than the unfilled PVOH film.

Utilisation of oil palm ash (OPA) in plastic packaging is concerned to environment-friendly, improving performance, and saving the costs of plastics. This study further discussed and compared the properties of un-plasticised polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH)/OPA (80/20) films with PVOH/OPA (80/20) film plasticised with glycerol and urea at different concentrations. Glycerol-plasticised PVOH/OPA (80/20) film showed a decrease of tensile strength but an increase of elongation at break, whereas ureaplasticised film showed gradual increase of both tensile strength and elongation at break when concentration of plasticising agents was increased. This is due to the extensive hydrogen bonding and formation of stable dimeric structure with the addition of urea to PVOH/OPA (80/20) films, which was confirmed by the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis. In water absorption measurement, the increased concentration of plasticising agent exhibited a decreased water uptake percentage. Both plasticised PVOH/ OPA (80/20) films showed substantial weight loss in natural soil burial study but ureaplasticised films had lower weight loss as compared to glycerol-plasticised films at similar plasticiser concentration. Thermal analysis proved the increase of segmental mobility of polymeric chain in glycerol-plasticised film by showing lower glass transition temperature (T g), while urea-plasticised films exhibited higher T g due to urea solidification and better interfacial interaction with the hydroxyl group of PVOH and OPA. Also, urea-plasticised films showed higher decomposition temperature than glycerol-plasticised films.