Abstract

SANCHEZ-AGUILAR, Raúl Fernando; CASTILLO, Yineer Alexis; IBARRA-SANCHEZ, Sandro Alberto  and  MUNOZ-CHAVES, Javier Andrés. Structural, thermal and morphological characterization of Crescentia cujete (totumo) with potential use as biodegradable polymer. rev.udcaactual.divulg.cient. [online]. 2023, vol.26, n.2, e2398.  Epub Dec 20, 2023. ISSN 0123-4226.  https://doi.org/10.31910/rudca.v26.n2.2023.2398.

Currently, it is recognized that plastics derived from petrochemicals are one of the biggest social and environmental problems due to their excessive use and difficulty in decomposition, which has increased the concern to find alternatives to these materials. This study characterizes the fruit of Crescentia cujete (calabash tree) as a biodegradable polymer through DRX, FTIR, DSC, TGA, and qualitative biodegradability analysis. The structural characterization revealed a semi-crystalline material composed mainly of type I cellulose, with a crystallinity of 29 %. The material's thermal stability was determined to be up to 175 °C, with moisture loss being the only observation at this temperature. The presence of hemicellulose and cellulose at higher temperatures and their subsequent decomposition were confirmed. The biodegradability study indicated the presence of microbial attack at 72 hours of monitoring, evidenced by the appearance of a fungus on the material surface, causing changes in CO2 and CO emissions. After 200 hours, a decrease in the volume of the fungus was observed, suggesting that it spread inside the material, giving rise to black spots of decomposition on the surface of the samples. Thus, calabash tree could be considered as an alternative lignocellulosic material for the preparation of biodegradable polymeric materials.

Keywords : Alternative materials; Biodegradable polymer; Bio-plastic; Cellulose; Lignocellulosic waste.

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