Preparation and Properties of Cellulose/Waste Leather Buff Biocomposites

The aim of the present work was to utilize waste leather buff (WLB) as filler in cellulose and make biocomposites for packaging applications such as wrappers. Cellulose was dissolved in the environmentally friendly ionic liquid 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (AmimCl). To this solution, WLB was added in amounts of 5 to 25 wt.% of cellulose. The cellulose and cellulose/WLB composite films were prepared by regenerating the corresponding cast solutions in a water coagulation bath followed by washing and drying. These films were tested for their tensile properties, thermal stability, and morphology. The tensile modulus and strength of the composite films were lower than those of the matrix. The lowering of the tensile modulus and strength with increasing WLB loading was attributed to the random orientation of the leather fibers of WLB in the composites. However, the % elongation at break of the composite films was found to be higher than that of the matrix and increased with increasing WLB content. The possible interaction between the matrix and WLB filler was probed using FT-IR analysis. The thermal stability of the composite films was higher than that of the matrix. The increase in thermal stability of the composite films was attributed to cross-linked collagen protein leather fibers in WLB. The fractographs of the composite films indicated good interfacial bonding between cellulose and leather fibers of WLB. These composite films may be considered for packaging and wrapping applications.