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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Commodity Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #409879
Research Project: Development of Novel Cottonseed Products and Processes

Location: Commodity Utilization Research

Title: Blends of carboxymethyl cellulose and cottonseed protein as biodegradable films

Author
item Cheng, Huai
item Biswas, Atanu
item Kuzniar, Gary
item Kim, Sanghoon
item Liu, Zengshe - Kevin
item He, Zhongqi

Submitted to: Polymers
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/27/2024
Publication Date: 5/31/2024
Citation: Cheng, H.N., Biswas, A., Kuzniar, G., Kim, S., Liu, Z., He, Z. 2024. Blends of carboxymethyl cellulose and cottonseed protein as biodegradable films. Polymers. 16(11). Article 1554. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16111554.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16111554

Interpretive Summary: A current societal problem is the accumulation of microplastics in water environments, and a lot of research and development is ongoing to replace the plastics in packaging and coatings. One type of packaging consists of water-soluble films as dissolvable bags and pouches for food items or for laundry detergents and agrochemicals. This application has a substantial market (estimated to be $364 million in 2020) and is being dominated by poly(vinyl alcohol). Because many agro-based polymers are biodegradable and water-soluble, it may be useful to explore these materials as alternatives. In this work, we made the blends of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) (a food-grade cellulosic polymer) and washed cottonseed meal (CSM, consisting mostly of cottonseed protein). Glycerol was found to be a suitable plasticizer. Upon evaluation, these blends were found to be useful for the water-soluble packaging application. As CMC can be derived via cellulose from cotton linters and CSM from cottonseed, the use of these two materials is beneficial to the cotton industry and potentially adds value to cotton production.

Technical Abstract: With increasing awareness of plastic pollution in the environment and accumulation of microplastics in water, a lot of research and development is ongoing to replace the synthetic plastics in packaging and coatings. In this work, we explored the blends of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and washed cottonseed meal (CSM, consisting mostly of cottonseed protein) as agro-based, biodegradable, and sustainable alternatives to plastics. Glycerol was found to be a suitable plasticizer for these blends. The blends of CMC/CSM were produced as single-layer films from 50 to 90 micrometers in thickness, consisting of different proportions of the components and plasticizer. Opacity, water vapor permeability, mechanical properties and opacity were evaluated. Higher percentage of CSM in the blend resulted in higher opacity and lower water vapor permeation rates. The mechanical strength waned with lower levels of CMC. Possible applications for these blends include their use as water-soluble food packaging and coatings and as dissolvable bags and pouches for detergents and agrochemicals.