Synthesis of biodegradable PVA/cellulose polymer composites and their application in dye removal

Abstract

Abstract Environmentally sustainable composite films were synthesized using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and cellulose. Cellulose was extracted from the Agro‐waste (sugarcane bagasse) using chemical pre‐treatment followed by the acid‐hydrolysis process. The composites were also used for the treatment of dye (Methylene blue; MB and Crystal violet dye; CV) and it was observed that the removal capacity of PVA/C was 70% for CV and 64.5% for MB dye. The biodegradation study of these composite films was also carried out using bacterial strains isolated from the marine waters of south Bengal. The biodegradation study of these polymer composites was characterized by FTIR, SEM, XRD, TGA, swelling properties, and weight loss. The results indicated that the PVA/C polymer showed a better rate of degradation (43%) than PVA (35%). Different loading parameters like pH, temperature, and inoculum dosage were studied to assess the degradation of the composite materials. Thus, biodegradable composite films were synthesized utilizing Agro‐waste and had dye removal properties.