In response to the growing environmental threat posed by plastic waste,this study developed hydrophobic biopolymer films from red seaweed(Kappaphycus alvarezii)as a sustainable alternative for packaging.The films were...In response to the growing environmental threat posed by plastic waste,this study developed hydrophobic biopolymer films from red seaweed(Kappaphycus alvarezii)as a sustainable alternative for packaging.The films were fabricated using a solvent-casting method,followed by surface treatment with triethoxymethylsilane to increase their hydrophobicity.Key metrics,including water solubility(reduced by 37.4%),moisture absorption capacity(decreased by 108.6%),and water vapor permeability(decreased by 65.4%),demonstrated significant improvements over untreated films.Fourier transform infrared(FT-IR)spectroscopy confirmed successful silane integration,whereas mechanical testing revealed increased tensile strength(up to 24.44 MPa)and Young’s modulus(183.41 MPa),with a moderate reduction in elongation at break.These findings indicate that silane-modified seaweed biopolymer films have strong potential as eco-friendly packaging solutions to mitigate plastic waste.展开更多
文摘In response to the growing environmental threat posed by plastic waste,this study developed hydrophobic biopolymer films from red seaweed(Kappaphycus alvarezii)as a sustainable alternative for packaging.The films were fabricated using a solvent-casting method,followed by surface treatment with triethoxymethylsilane to increase their hydrophobicity.Key metrics,including water solubility(reduced by 37.4%),moisture absorption capacity(decreased by 108.6%),and water vapor permeability(decreased by 65.4%),demonstrated significant improvements over untreated films.Fourier transform infrared(FT-IR)spectroscopy confirmed successful silane integration,whereas mechanical testing revealed increased tensile strength(up to 24.44 MPa)and Young’s modulus(183.41 MPa),with a moderate reduction in elongation at break.These findings indicate that silane-modified seaweed biopolymer films have strong potential as eco-friendly packaging solutions to mitigate plastic waste.
