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Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH)/rambutan skin waste flour (RWF) crosslinked films were successfully prepared by solution casting with glutaraldehyde (GLU) and hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) and without crosslinker in the presence of glycerol as a plasticizer. The properties of cast films were evaluated by tensile testing, water absorption, and degradation behavior at different weight ratios of PVOH and RWF. The tensile results show that the PVOH/RWF films crosslinked with HMTA exhibited a slight improvement in the tensile strength and Young's modulus but a lower elongation at break than that of GLU-crosslinked films; this was attributed to the better crosslinking effect of HMTA, as shown by the Fourier transform infrared results. The HMTA-crosslinked film showed a lower water absorption and water vapor transmission rate as compared to the GLU-crosslinked and noncrosslinked films. A natural weathering test revealed that the addition of 1.5 wt % GLU and HMTA did not significantly affect the reduction in tensile properties, but the biodegradability test showed that the weight loss of noncrosslinked films was higher than those of the GLU-and HMTA-crosslinked films.

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A series of biodegradable polymer films based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) and jackfruit waste flour (JWF) was prepared in the presence of water and glycerol and cast by a solution casting method. The JWF was introduced as a promoter of biodegradability. The blended films were evaluated for their tensile properties, water absorption, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), and degradation behavior under different environmental conditions such as natural weathering and natural soil. The tensile strength (1.7–6.4 MPa) and elongation at break (13–108%) of the PVOH/JWF films were lower than those of unfilled PVOH film (26MPa and 238%). However, the Young's modulus values (157–196 MPa) of the PVOH/JWF films were higher than that of unfilled PVOH film (137 MPa). The PVOH/JWF blended films showed higher water absorption and WVTR, which increased with increasing JWF content. Biodegradability tests revealed that the presence of JWF stimulated the degradation rate and caused the weight loss and reduction in tensile properties of the PVOH/JWF blended films. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers

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As the world second largest producer and exporter of palm oil after Indonesia, Malaysia's palm oil industries generate huge amount of biomass especially after pruning or harvesting the fresh bunch. The generated oil palm biomass includes empty fruit brunch (EFB), palm kernel shell, oil palm trunk (OPT), oil palm frond (OPF), palm oil mill effluent (POME), and mesocarp fiber. Among the generated oil palm biomass, OPF is by far the highest in quantity, accounting for more than 50% of the total biomass generated in the oil palm industries. Therefore, OPF appears to be a very promising source of raw materials in Malaysia. Considerable amount of researches have been carried out to investigate the nutritional value and economic viability of OPF and its suitability for reused as recycle energy, nutrients, or being transformed into value‐added end products. Thus, this article aims to present an overview on the current scenario in Malaysian's palm oil industries, covering topics on the availability and the characterization of OPF. This article also emphasizes on the superior recycling of OPF in various fields and major challenges in the utilization of OPF. Based on the findings presented, it is definitely clear that OPF has the potential to serve as sustainable and promising biomass source for Malaysia, not only to reduce the environmental problem caused by openly burnt or landfill disposal of OPF but also to generate extra revenue for the country. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 36: 1864–1874, 2017

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