Characterization of Coffee Waste-Based Biopolymer Composite Blends for Packaging Development.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science
• Sustainable Materials

Background:

• Growing environmental concerns drive the use of waste by-products in polymer blends.
• Coffee waste, specifically coffee parchment (CP), offers a sustainable resource for material development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To incorporate coffee parchment (CP) and coffee oil (CO) into biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) and poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) polymer blends.
• To enhance the properties of these blends using functionalization and chitosan nanoparticle (ChNp) coating for potential food packaging applications.

Main Methods:

• Extrusion process to prepare polymer blend ribbons incorporating CP and CO.
• Functionalization of CP, application of ChNp coating, and characterization using SEM, TGA, and DSC.
• Evaluation of mechanical properties (Young's modulus, tensile strength, elongation at break).

Main Results:

• Proximal analysis revealed significant cellulose and lignin content in CP.
• Functionalization improved thermal stability and miscibility of the PLA/PBAT blends.
• CP incorporation and ChNp coating decreased Young's modulus and tensile strength without affecting elongation at break.

Conclusions:

• Reusing coffee industry by-products (CP and CO) in PLA/PBAT blends is feasible.
• Chitosan nanoparticle coating provides a nanostructured antimicrobial surface.
• Developed materials show promise for sustainable food packaging solutions.