Polymer nanocomposites have been of great interest to packaging, energy, molding, and transportation industries due to several favorable properties including a higher resistance to stress and cracking even under flexed conditions, and also a chemical resistance to water, acids, and alkalis. The current work disseminates the studies on the mechanical and thermal properties of the polypropylene HHR102 polymer reinforced with nano dispersoids of silicon dioxide at varied weight fractions. The nanocomposites, fabricated via melt processing followed by injection molding, were tested for tensile strength, % elongation, tensile modulus, and impact toughness. Further, the samples were also subjected to dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to determine the dynamic storage modulus and thermal stability. The addition of nano-silica in polypropylene HHR102 resulted in enhanced ductility and well-balanced tensile modulus; however, the tensile strength and impact toughness were found to be decreased. On the other hand, the storage modulus was significantly increased for all nano-silica (NS)-containing polypropylene HHR102 matrices. With the increased nano-silica content, the storage modulus was optimal. Further, with the lower weight loss of 30% and 50%, the thermal stability of the increased silica content PP nanocomposites was much affected. However, it improved at a weight loss of 30% for the lower silica content PP nanocomposite (PP-1%NS). The imbibition was found to increase with the increase in NS. The increase in imbibition is attributed to the micro-voids generated during ageing. These micro-voids act as channels for water absorption. Further, the degree of crystallinity of the nanocomposites was decreased as a result of inhibition by the nano-particles on the regular packing of polymer molecules. The structure–property correlations were explicated based on the achieved mechanical properties.

In this study, it is attempted to enhance the properties and biodegradability of poly(butylene adipate terephthalate) (PBAT) using nanocomposite technology to meet the demand for sustainable packaging applications. Two nanoclays containing PBAT composites are reactively processed and integrated into the multilayered films. Reactive processing facilitates the dispersion and distribution of nanoclay particles in the PBAT matrix. The multilayered films comprising reactively processed PBAT composites exhibited a 24.5%–31.5% reduction in the oxygen transmission rate and improved dimensional stability and tensile properties. Moreover, the degradability of the multilayered film comprising reactively processed PBAT composites reached 82% in 180 days. In contrast, a neat PBAT film of similar thickness attained only 53% degradation in the same period. The biodegradation mechanism is proposed based on the topology of the disintegrated films studied using scanning electron microscopy, chemical bond vibrations determined by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, and structural evolution by small‐ and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (SWAXS). The SWAXS analysis is used to understand the changes in the degree of crystallinity, long‐range periodic order, and crystalline and amorphous layer thickness of the multilayered films before and after degradation. Such multilayered films can find applications where packaging or biomedical devices cannot be recycled.

Biobased biodegradable materials are gaining popularity with increasing public awareness on the negative impacts of conventional plastics on the environment. There is, however, a lack of promising biobased materials suitable for various end‐use applications that are also environmentally safe. Recently, banana sap and banana fibres have been explored as a potential source of organic material as they are abundant, cost‐efficient, and environmentally friendly. In this study, two hybrid bioresins (1) banana sap maleate (BSM) and (2) banana sap maleate + banana fibre (BSMF) were developed, and their material properties and environmental suitability were examined by analysing their physicochemical characterisation and biodegradation testing. We used thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for the physicochemical characterisation of BSMF before and after composting and measured carbon dioxide evolved during the biodegradation to calculate biodegradability. SEM analysis also showed a significant disintegration and surface degradation in BSMF compared to BSM and other control materials such as control resin and cellulose. CO₂ mineralization results indicated a potential microbial bioassimilation of the materials under composting conditions. Biodegradability of the BSMF composite, as indicated by CO₂ emission, was 17.6% higher than BSM and other control materials used in this study. The present study provides crucial evidence that the reinforcement of banana fibre into banana sap bioresin composite can significantly improve material properties and enhance biodegradability in the composting conditions. These results are quite promising as they show that, with some tweaking; natural materials can reduce environmental impact of composites and improve material properties for different end‐use applications and involves less exploitation of nonrenewable resources for polymer production. This study also provides an avenue to consider BSMF for carrying out our future life cycle assessment (LCA) and to compare with commercial product’s LCA. In a circular economy approach, characteristics such as durability, environmental toxicity, and recyclability of such materials should be studied and optimised to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact.