Effect of raw and chemically treated oil palm mesocarp fibers on thermoplastic cassava starch properties

Composites of thermoplastic cassava starch (TPS) and oil palm mesocarp fibers (OPMF) were prepared using a screw extrusion rheometer. Two types of OPMF were used: raw and alkaline treated oil palm fibers. TPS composites using raw fiber showed an improvement of 193% in the elastic modulus and 153% for maximum stress, while the elongation at break was kept constant when compared to the neat TPS matrix. The high improvement in the mechanical and thermal properties of the TPS matrix by the raw fiber is due to the presence of silica, which influences the interaction of the matrix and OPMF fibers. The present work shows that TPS composites with 10 wt% raw fiber have greater mechanical properties than higher OPMF raw fiber content or alkaline treated fibers and provides the use of OPMF residue to produce an eco-friendly composite for various applications.