Extraction of the cellulose and cellulose-based biopolymer composites: fabrication and properties

The plane tree (Platanus orientalis) is a deciduous tree commonly found in parks and gardens worldwide. The tree sheds its leaves in autumn, and these fallen leaves are often collected and disposed of through burning, which has detrimental effects on the environment. Utilizing organic waste properly allows for the creating of eco-friendly materials that support a clean, sustainable, and cyclical economy. Following the zero-waste principle, cellulose was extracted from plane tree leaves, considered organic waste, to produce cellulose-based biopolymer composites, with psyllium plant seed gel serving as a supplementary element. To achieve this, cellulose was extracted from fallen plane tree leaves on the campus of Fırat University. The extracted cellulose was characterized using various techniques, while psyllium plant seed gel was produced in water to be used in combination with cellulose for composite preparation. The psyllium mucilage was primarily prepared using water, and different proportions of mucilage were used to prepare cross-linked and non-cross-linked cellulose-based biopolymer composites. Production parameters were optimized throughout this process. The structural (FTIR, XRD), thermal, and morphological (TGA, SEM) properties of the produced composites were thoroughly studied. Additionally, the swelling behaviors and bioactivity properties of the composites were investigated. The resulting composite materials are environmentally friendly sustainable and have promise for food packaging applications and advanced medicine.