Ginger residue-derived nanocellulose as a sustainable reinforcing agent for composite films

Nanocellulose extracted from agricultural waste for the development of reinforced sustainable composites is needed, due to a greater environmental responsibility and awareness of environmental pollution. In this work, the extraction of nanocellulose (GNC) from ginger residue was conducted via acid hydrolysis without complicated pretreatments. The potential application of GNC as a reinforcing agent for sustainable composite films was also explored. The results showed that the obtained GNC exhibited a rod-like shape with a high aspect ratio (15.75 ± 4.25). X-ray diffraction patterns revealed a cellulose II structure with a crystallinity index of 88.47 %. The reinforcing effects of GNC were evaluated in composite films made from different matrices, including sodium alginate (SA) and chitosan (CS), to assess its performance in enhancing material properties. The incorporation of 5 % of GNC significantly improved the tensile strength of SA and CS by 94 % and 64 %, respectively. Notably, the addition of GNC also enhanced the elongation at break of the SA-based films. This study demonstrates that ginger residue is a promising and sustainable feedstock for extracting nanocellulose, which can serve as an effective reinforcing agent in biocomposite films.