# Eco-Friendly Biopolymer Composite Sheet Derived from Water Hyacinth Reinforced with Cassava Chip: Optimal Conditions for Mixing, Blending, and Forming

## TL;DR

This paper explores creating eco-friendly biopolymer sheets from water hyacinth and cassava chip under optimal mixing conditions.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel biopolymer composite from water hyacinth and cassava chip with optimal mixing ratios for sustainability.

## Key findings

- An 80:20 ratio of water hyacinth to cassava chip produced the best mechanical and physical properties.
- The composite sheets showed high tensile strength and favorable water solubility.
- SEM and XRD analyses confirmed the optimal crystalline structure and surface morphology.

## Abstract

The persistence of the synthetic plastic waste problem makes it one of the most pressing environmental challenges. Sustainable material is an alternative approach to reduce petroleum plastics. In this research, our work aims to convert two biomaterials, water hyacinth (WH) and cassava chip (CC), into value-added biopolymer composite sheets (BCS). The raw materials of both WH and CC were prepared and characterized using physical and chemical treatments. Alkali treatments and chemical modifications were applied to remove lignin, protein, lipid, and other inhibiting components. After that, the two main raw materials of the WH and CC components were varied (100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, and 60:40, respectively) to investigate the optimal conditions for mixing, blending, and forming processes. Finally, mechanical properties (tensile strength), physical properties (surface morphology using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), crystalline structure by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and water solubility were also evaluated. The results obtained obviously revealed that the BCS reached an optimal ratio of 80:20 and exhibited outstanding properties. We were successful in exploring the potential use of a combination of two kinds of biopolymers under optimal conditions to produce an effective and environmentally friendly BCS in a manner that promotes a sustainable bio-circular economy and zero-waste concepts.