| Summary: | Lignocellulosic structures extracted from agricultural wastes have great potential in re-designing sustainable packaging materials. In this study, the utilization of kiwifruit peels (KFP) (unt) and lignocellulosic structures extracted from KFP, which were alkali-treated (al), acid-treated (ac), and acetylated (ace), in poly(lactic acid) (PLA) films were investigated. Untreated and treated lignocellulosic structures were added to PLA film-forming solutions at 5% (w/w based on PLA). The film samples were characterized by their mechanical, water vapor permeability (WVP), FTIR, and optical properties. FTIR results presented that the acid treatment and acetylation have changed the chemical structure of KPF, which resulted in changes in intensities and peak shifts between 1400-1900 cm-1. WVP of the films containing KPF-based lignocellulosic structures was lower than control PLA films (p<0.05). The addition of KPF-based lignocellulosic structures increased the tensile strength and elastic modulus (p>0.05) compared to PLA control films. Films including acid-treated lignocellulosic structures had high opacity and relatively low lightness values (p<0.05). These results showed that adding lignocellulosic structures into PLA films is a promising method to improve the film properties.
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