Strong and biodegradable films from avocado peel fiber

Plastics are desirable as packaging materials due to their strong, flexible, and low-cost properties. However, their lack of biodegradability is environmentally detrimental. To this end, plant-based natural fiber is a viable option for creating plastic replacing and biodegradable materials. This study aimed to extract lignocellulosic fiber from avocado peel and make films. Acid hydrolysis and alkali treatment were used to obtain the fiber from avocado peel and ZnCl2 to solubilize it and make films by crosslinking the polymer chains through Ca2+ ions. The results reveal that increasing the Ca2+ ions amount significantly reduces moisture content, moisture absorption, water vapor permeability, water solubility, transparency, and elongation at the break of films but improves tensile strength. The films biodegrade within 30 days at the soil moisture content of 22% with a half-life of 3.19-4.63 days. Overall, extract from avocado peel fiber could aid in designing and developing plastic replacement and biodegradable packaging films.

Automated summary

This study extracted lignocellulosic fiber from avocado peel and used it to create biodegradable films as a replacement for plastics.