Abstract:
The apparel sector is the foremost contributor to the Sri Lankan economy. A
significant amount of cotton waste is generated during different processing
steps of the apparel industry which has posed a severe environmental threat.
Due to its high cellulose content and substantial manufacturing volume, cotton
waste has great potential for sustainable application. The main objective of
this research is to fabricate bioplastic using extracted cellulose from cotton
waste. Firstly, cellulose was extracted from collected cotton waste followed
by a three-step purification process including alkaline pulping, bleaching, and
acid hydrolysis. Bioplastic films were prepared by mixing 0.5g of dried
cellulose with different ratios of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and
glycerol, and then the solution was cast into a glass mold. The accuracy of the
isolation method and fabrication process of bioplastic film was verified by
Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy by comparing the functional groups.
The biodegradability and swelling properties (water and oil) of bioplastic film
were investigated. The film was dissolved immediately in water. The oil
resistance of the film increased with the increasing glycerol content. The
optimum level was observed in 3 % of CMC and 5 % of glycerol contents.
After 20 days of soil burial, it was observed that biodegradability decreases
when increasing the CMC and glycerol amount, and the maximum weight
reduction of 94.5% was recorded at 1.2% of CMC and 1.5% of glycerol
contents. In conclusion, cotton waste can be effectively utilized for bioplastic
production which has the potential application in the packaging industry.