Applications of Rice Husk Cellulose Nano-crystals in Edible Wrappings

Rice husk (RH) constitutes environmental challenge in rice producing areas, due to poor waste management. Research on application for high value use of RH is critical for rice mills in developing countries because rice husk is an abundant, available, and renewable waste material in the region. In this work, cellulose nano-crystals (CNC) from rice husk was re-inforced with gelatin/carboxyl methyl-cellulose (CMC) nano-composite film for use in food packaging and was made via the solution casting method. CMC-gelatin nano-composites re-inforced with CNC were successfully made using the solution casting process. Using gelatin, carboxyl methylcellulose and CNC film, the effects of the CNC content were examined using mechanical characteristics, total dissolved solid (TDS), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Experimental results showed how the gelatin, carboxyl methyl-cellulose, and CNC films that were created had needle-like geometries. They had sizes of 8–21 nanometers in diameter, 81–286 nanometers in length, a 17 aspect ratio, and a 0.83 crystallinity index. The addition of five percent weight and ten percent weight CNC lead to homogenous nano-composite films, showing a nice like-mindedness betwixt CNC and gelatin/CMC. The CNC disseminate faultlessly throughout the matrix. The thickness (TKS) increased from 0.13 µm to 0.25 µm, the tensile strength (TSS) raised through 6.80 MPa to 7.70 MPa then elongation at break (EAB) reduced from 80.44–68.68% with the inclusion of CNC. The nano-composite films' TDS likewise dropped, from 72–65%. The outcomes show that using gelatin/CMC reinforced with CNC has several benefits because it is a naturally occurring, affordable, and plentiful material that can serve as a substitute for many non-degradable, oil-based materials.