Biodegradable Nano-Cellulose and its Composite Materials for Food Packaging Applications : A Review

Abstract

Bagasse is a fibrous material obtained after crushing sugarcane to extract its juice. this sugarcane bagasse can be utilized to produce cellulose nano-crystals for various applications. Researchers have been studying the manufacturing of nano-cellulose-based products and food packaging films. the evolution of environmentally friendly and ecologically balanced food packaging materials has gotten a lot of interest as a potential solution to partially replace the perishable fossil fuel-derived plastic. Nano-cellulose and so its uses have lately received considerable attention across both research and application areas due to their attractive characteristics such as exceptional mechanical properties, larger surface area, rich hydroxyl for alteration, and biological properties with 100 per cent environmental protection. It is widely produced around the world in big quantities. It is a sugar industry waste product. It is most widely employed in the paper industry, although researchers have proposed that various mechanical and chemical treatments can aid in the extraction of cellulosic fibres, pure cellulose, cellulose nano-fibers (CNF), and cellulose nano-crystals (CNC). These extracted components have a wide range of uses in the manufacturing of regenerated cellulosic fibre and composite materials. The extraction processes for these extracted components in food packaging are discussed in this review study, as well as their usual application in composite industries.