Characterization of Thin Film PLA/PBAT Reinforced with Microcrystalline Cellulose Derived from <i>Gigantochloa albociliata</i>

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from bamboo is a natural biodegradable polymer that can be applied as barrier materials in the form of films. Bamboo contributes to 90% of the total mass of the dry weight comprised of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. In this study, Gigantochloa albociliata (Buluh Madu) was chosen due to the fast-growing species, cheaper and abundance in Malaysia. This bamboo was undergone Kraft pulping process to get the pure cellulose and then continued with the acid hydrolysis process to produce microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). In this study, thin-film PLA/PBAT reinforced with microcrystalline cellulose derived from Gigantochloa albociliata were produced. PLA is high in strength and ductility, but it is brittle while PBAT is elastic and strong. Therefore, PBAT is a great candidate for PLA hardness. The thin film was characterized with XRD, DSC and TGA to compare the thin film from microcrystalline cellulose derived from bamboo (B-MCC) with the commercial microcrystalline cellulose (C-MCC). The C-MCC was used as reference material. From the results, B-MCC has the same crystallinity index as C-MCC with a value of 51.3%. It can be concluded that B-MCC is can be one of the alternatives for the microcrystalline cellulose due to the abundance of bamboo as fast-growing species. Furthermore, it exists naturally, has low cost, is biodegradable, is a low-density compound, and fits best in the field of renewability.