Properties and flame retardancy of polylactide composites incorporating tricresyl phosphate and modified microcrystalline cellulose from oil palm empty fruit bunch waste

One of the major environmental issues that have an impact on humans, animals, and their surroundings is plastic garbage. The use of biodegradable polymers in place of traditional plastics is one of the best solutions to this significant issue. The bio-circular-green (BCG) economic model is supported by the use of microcrystalline cel-lulose (MCC) as a bio-filler for polylactide (PLA) composites, which may also help to address the issue of improper plastic waste management. This study explores the chemical modification of MCC derived from oil palm empty fruit bunch waste (OPMC). Maleic anhydride-modified OPMC (MAMC) is successfully synthesized by a solvent-free and low temperature heating procedure. MAMC and tricresyl phosphate (TCP) were used as ad-ditives in PLA composites which were processed by melt extrusion and compression molding. Characterization studies confirmed the successful modification of MAMC and indicated that TCP played a crucial role as an effective plasticizer and flame retardant for PLA. All PLA/TCP composites showed significantly improved toughness and delayed ignition. The appropriate TCP level was 10 phr. The incorporation of TCP and MAMC resulted in a synergistic enhancement of impact strength and maintained excellent flame inhibition. Moreover, the thermal stability of the PLA composites increased with increments of MAMC.

Automated summary

Plastic garbage is a major environmental issue that affects humans, animals, and their surroundings. The use of biodegradable polymers as substitutes for traditional plastics is an effective solution to address this problem. This study focuses on the chemical modification of microcrystalline cellulose derived from oil palm empty fruit bunch waste and its application as a bio-filler in polylactide composites. The addition of tricresyl phosphate as a plasticizer and flame retardant enhances the toughness and flame inhibition of the composites. The findings suggest that this approach can effectively improve the properties of PLA composites.