title: Composite films prepared from agricultural by-products.
abstract: In our study we used holocelluloses from sugar beet and bagasse for film preparation. Films from sugar beet holocellulose have better mechanical properties than from bagasse holocellulose. By subsequent carboxymethylation of bagasse holocellulose, films with better properties were produced. Specimens prepared from combined sugar beet and bagasse carboxymethylated holocellulose had the best mechanical properties. The results could be explained by the ratios of cellulose, arabinan, polygalacturonan and xylan content in individual films, based on the elemental analysis data. The use of microwaves to prepare holocellulose film speed up the process, but negatively affected the mechanical properties. Lignin content of the sugar beet holocellulose and bagasse samples was low and did not affect the mechanical properties. Both types of agricultural by-products could be used for preparation of composite film with high strength and stiffness suitable for broad range of applications.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 38 Bratislava, Slovak Republic, Slovak Republic. Electronic address: chemsimk@savba.sk.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Šimkovic
authors.affiliation: Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Square 2, 162 06 Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kelnar
authors.affiliation: Istituto per lo Studio delle Macromolecole (CNR), Via E. Bassini 15, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Raniero
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mendichi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 38 Bratislava, Slovak Republic, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Tomáš
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bertok
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 38 Bratislava, Slovak Republic, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Jaroslav
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Filip
mesh_terms: D027461:Beta vulgaris / Q000737:chemistry*; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium / Q000737:chemistry; D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry*; D008031:Lignin / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002482:Cellulose; D008031:Lignin; C027433:bagasse; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium
keywords: Bagasse; Composite film properties; Holocellulose; Sugar beet residue