TY  - EJOU
AU  - Amelia, Devita 
AU  - Ilyas, R. A. 
AU  - Abral, Hairul 
AU  - Asrofi, Mochamad 
AU  - Rizal, Muhammad Asyraf Muhammad 
AU  - Hassan, Mohamad Zaki 
AU  - Kassim, Mohamad Haafiz Mohamad 
AU  - Rawi, Nurul Fazita Mohammad 
AU  - Razali, Nasrullah 
AU  - Mahardika, Melbi 

TI  - Valorisation of Jicama (<i>Pachyrhizus erosus</i>) Bagasse into Cellulose Microfibers for the Reinforcement of Biocomposite Jicama Starch Films
T2  - Journal of Renewable Materials

PY  - 2026
VL  - 14
IS  - 4
SN  - 2164-6341

AB  - This study characterizes biocomposites derived from jicama starch and reinforced with microfibers obtained from jicama bagasse (JB). The incorporation of jicama bagasse microfibers into the jicama matrix was systematically varied at concentrations of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 wt%. The starch film and biocomposite were prepared using solution casting methodologies, employing glycerol as a plasticizing agent. The biocomposites were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. In addition, the moisture absorption and tensile properties were evaluated. The jicama starch contained 44% w/w amylose, whereas the jicama bagasse microfiber contained 55.98% w/w cellulose. Following the incorporation of jicama bagasse microfibers at concentrations ranging from 1 to 3 wt%, the biocomposite film exhibited a statistically significant enhancement (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.05) in its tensile properties and moisture resistance. The biocomposite containing 3 wt% jicama bagasse microfiber exhibited the most favorable properties. Specifically, the tensile strength, crystallinity index, and moisture absorption (after 6 h) of this film were recorded at 9.7 MPa (an increase of 470%), 6.7% (an increase of 14.7%), and 32.6% (a decrease of 31.6%), respectively, in comparison to the pure starch film. These findings indicate that the biocomposite film has considerable potential for application in industrial food packaging.
KW  - Biocomposite; jicama starch; microfibers; tensile properties

DO  - 10.32604/jrm.2025.02025-0147