Properties of poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) biocomposite reinforced with kenaf, seaweed and chitosan as bio-filler

The increase in accumulated plastic waste into the environment is a significant contributor to plastic pollution. Biodegradable polymers, such as polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT), have the potential to replace conventional plastics in order to effectively reducing microplastic contamination. This study reports on the influence of kenaf fibre (KF), kenaf core (KC), seaweed (SW), and chitosan (C) on various aspects of PBAT bio-composites, including their chemical structure, crystallisation behaviour, thermal properties, microscopic morphology, and tensile properties. Bio-composites were synthesized through a melt mixing process involving PBAT combined with 10, 20, and 30 wt.% of KF, KC, SW, and C. The tensile characteristics reveal that the maximum tensile modulus is KF30 at 652 MPa, while the minimum tensile modulus is SW10 at 89.32 MPa. Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy were utilised for characterisation. The integration of bio-fillers led to an improvement in the stiffness of PBAT, accompanied by significant increases in storage modulus (E′) across all bio-composite with the storage modulus of KF30 recorded is 620 MPa at 20 °C. It shows that it can be ascribed to the pronounced interactions between the carbonyl groups of the PBAT matrix and the hydroxyl groups of the bio-fillers. Furthermore, the use of bio-filler, characterised by its small surface area and diverse composition, affected the crystallization of PBAT. There are new peaks found in FTIR analysis ranging within 3900-3600 cm-1 which is ascribes as alcohol O–H stretching. In conclusion, this study presents an innovative method for the preparation of PBAT bio-composites, integrating environmentally friendly bio-fillers. These bio-composites present opportunities for the application of biodegradable materials, providing enhancements in functionality.