Study of green nanocomposites based on corn starch and cellulose nanofibrils from Agave tequilana Weber

Global environmental pollution issues caused by synthetic materials and the lack of practical utilization of the local industrial lignocellulosic waste, force Mexican researchers to produce new biobased sustainable materials that use industrial waste as a source of components. Herein, we show the preparation and characterization of environmentally friendly starch-based nanocomposites reinforced with cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) extracted from Agave tequilana Weber. Tensile, bending and impact mechanical properties of dried and hydrated nanocomposites were studied. Moreover, the water absorption capacity of the nanocomposites were measured and evaluated. The mechanical properties improved because of the presence of a small amount of CNF (1 wt%). This work demonstrates the importance of the addition of a natural biomodifier in a starch matrix to achieve better mechanical properties. Most importantly, this study highlights that lignocellulosic waste from the tequila industry can have a practical application, which is being a source of natural nanoreinforcements for preparation of all-biobased sustainable materials.