Development of green composites of poly (vinyl alcohol) reinforced with microcrystalline cellulose derived from sago seed shells

Reinforcing poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with biopolymers like microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) provides interesting route for the preparation of green composites. In this study, PVA and MCC from sago seed shell in different weight% were prepared by intense sonication followed by solution casting into glass plate. Composites were prepared by adding 1, 2 and 3 weight% of MCC, which were characterized using FTIR, ATR‐FTIR, XRD, TGA, DSC, SEM, AFM, UV‐Vis, and mechanical testing. Particle size distribution of used MCC was analyzed by DLS. ATR‐FTIR spectra reveal the incorporation of MCC into the polymer matrix through hydrogen bonding. XRD pattern shows the decrease in relative intensity compared to PVA film and broadening of peaks at different MCC concentrations. DSC analysis reveals the variations in the glass transition temperature. In addition to lowering in melting temperature, changes in shape and area are attributed to the different degrees of crystallinity due to the existence of polymer‐polymer interactions between PVA and MCC. The results obtained from ATR‐FTIR, XRD and DSC substantiate each other. TGA results reveal the increased thermal stability compared to the PVA film. The SEM analysis shows the uniform distribution for lower loading, which is further supported by AFM. UV‐Visible spectra reveal the good transparency of prepared films. Mechanical testing was also performed, in which 1 weight% gained tensile strength. The TGA and mechanical testing results showed that MCC as reinforcement in PVA film can improve thermal and mechanical strength. DLS measurements show that the particle size of MCC is >100 nm. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:3033–3039, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers