Mechanical and Physicochemical Properties of Composite Biopolymer Films Based on Carboxymethyl Cellulose from Young Palmyra Palm Fruit Husk and Rice Flour

Abstract

Carboxymethyl cellulose from young Palmyra palm fruit husk (CMCy) film has low water barrier properties, which can limit its application. Thus, the combination of CMCy with other polysaccharides, such as rice flour (RF), may solve this problem. The aim of this study is to prepare the CMCy/RF composite films in different proportions (CMCy100, CMCy75/RF25, CMCy50/RF50, CMCy25/RF75, and RF100) and investigate their mechanical and physicochemical properties. The film strength (33.36–12.99 MPa) and flexibility (9.81–3.95%) of the CMCy/RF composite films decreased significantly (p < 0.05) with an increase in the RF proportion. Blending the RF with CMCy could improve the water vapor permeability (9.25–6.18 × 10−8 g m m−2 s−1 Pa−1) and film solubility (82.70–21.64%) of the CMCy/RF composite films. Furthermore, an increased lightness with a coincidental decreased yellowness of the CMCy/RF composite films was pronounced when the RF proportion increased (p < 0.05). However, the addition of RF in different proportions did not influence the film thickness and transparency. Based on SEM micrographs, all film samples had a relatively coarser surface. FTIR spectra showed that some interactions between CMCy and RF blended films had occurred. According to these findings, the CMCy50/RF50 composite film was found to be the best formulation because it has good mechanical and physicochemical properties.