Critical review on agrowaste cellulose applications for biopolymers

The usage and application of agricultural biomass products in development of polymer nanocomposites is increasing due to the demand for green materials, depletion of natural resources and awareness of environmental issues. Lignocellulosic agricultural fibers such as sugarcane bagasse, rice husk, sorghum waste and maize stalk are increasingly investigated as an alternative to conventional and inorganic fillers such as carbon fiber, glass fiber and silica. This review provides an overview on the emerging cellulose nanomaterials, focusing on extraction procedures from lignocellulosic biomass, and on modification developments and applications of these materials in polymer matrices. In this regard, cellulose nanocrystals, cellulose nanofibrils and bacterial nanocellulose derived from biomass cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer, are increasingly applied to nanocomposites. Different range of biodegradable polymer matrices are described in this review (polylactide, polycaprolactone, and polyhydroxybutyrate) because of more eco-friendliness from their origin in contrast to the fully petroleum polymers in production of biopolymers nanocomposites. This family of composites offer a green alternative to synthetic polymers and represents the best polymeric substitutes for various (petro) polymers because of their renewability, biodegradability, biocompatibility and good thermomechanical properties.