Approach to Renewable Lignocellulosic Biomass Film Directly from Bagasse

Lignocellulosic biomass in the form of plant materials offers the most abundant renewable resource in replacing traditional fossil resources. In the present study, lignocellulosic biomass films were prepared directly from bagasse solutions in DMSO/LiCl without additional film-forming additives by coagulation either in an acetone/water (9/1, v/v) mixture or in water following a freezing treatment. The physicochemical properties of bagasse films were studied by FT-IR, UV/vis, SEM, XRD, and tensile testing. The films were semi-transparent with a yellow color and showed strong abilities in UV light blocking due to the presence of lignin. Relatively high mechanical strength comparable to cellulose–starch–lignin composite films was observed. The physical cross-link and the stress buffer of micropores formed in the freezing treatment resulted in enhanced mechanical strength of the film. The facile and environmentally friendly process creates a new strategy for converting abundant lignocellulosic materials to novel value-added bioproducts.