Enhanced performance of thermoplastic starch foams using waste-based plasticizer and rice husk filler

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Chailad, Wichain and Sungsanit, Kullawadee and Yang, Liu and Sukhawipat, Nathapong (2026) Enhanced performance of thermoplastic starch foams using waste-based plasticizer and rice husk filler. Cellulose, 33 (2). pp. 959-984. ISSN 0969-0239 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-025-06912-1)

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Abstract

This study develops biodegradable rice starch-based foams (RSFs), using modified used palm oil (mUPO) as a plasticiser and rice husk (RH), a lignocellulosic agricultural residue containing significant biogenic silica, as a reinforcing filler, both derived from household and agricultural wastes. The RSFs were produced through a simple, low-energy process and exhibited marked improvements in structural integrity, moisture resistance, and thermal stability. Incorporation of mUPO enhanced foam expansion and flexibility, reducing shrinkage from 27.2 to 24.4% and lowering moisture uptake from 5.9 to 1.7%. The addition of RH acted as both a reinforcing and nucleating filler, further refining pore size and raising impact strength from 4.0 to 11.9 J/m at 5 phr (parts per hundered parts of starch by weight). One-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post-hoc test confirmed that the improvements in pore size, shrinkage, and moisture resistance were statistically significant (p < 0.05), validating the combined effect of mUPO and RH. The dual-waste formulation also increased thermal stability and shifted glass transition behaviour, reflecting the complementary roles of plasticisation by mUPO and reinforcement by RH. Overall, the results highlight waste-to-value strategies that transform low-cost secondary products into high-performance RSF, offering promising potential in sustainable packaging, insulation, and lightweight protective materials for the food, logistics, and construction sectors. Among the tested formulations, RSFs containing 6 phr mUPO as plasticiser and 5 phr RH as reinforcement represented the optimum composition, making it particularly promising for eco-friendly packaging, cushioning, and insulation applications where both mechanical robustness and dimensional stability are required.

ORCID iDs

Chailad, Wichain, Sungsanit, Kullawadee, Yang, Liu ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8475-1757 and Sukhawipat, Nathapong;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)