Title
Morphological, mechanical, organic vapour permeation properties and biodegradability of poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate)/waste pistachio shell-derived cellulose composite membranes
Authors
SHANA JEBIN VALIYA PEEDIYAKKAL, RAJESH CHERUMADATHIL and FASEENA NAMBIDUMANNIL

Received August 8, 2023
Published Volume 57 Issue 9-10 September-December
Keywords ethyl vinyl acetate-cellulose membranes, pistachio shell, vapour permeation, biodegradability

Abstract
Cellulose fibers have attracted interest as a suitable candidate for manufacturing composites. In the present work, cellulose derived from waste pistachio shell was used to prepare composite membranes with poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate (EVA) via solution casting, and their morphological, mechanical, organic vapour permeation characteristics and biodegradability were evaluated. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the voids in the EVA polymer were filled effectively by cellulose fibers. The mechanical testing of the composites revealed an improvement in Young’s modulus with the increase in cellulose loading. The permeation of polar and non-polar solvents through the membranes was studied and explained by molar size, molecular mass and polarity of the solvents. Nielson’s permeability equation as modified by Baradwaj was used to analyse the relative permeability of the membranes. Soil burial degradation experiments of the composite membranes showed a decrease in weight and tensile strength, revealing the biodegradability of the membranes.