Evaluation of Groundnut Shell and Corn Cob Myco Composite as Packaging Material in Nigeria

The growing environmental issues related to non-biodegradable plastic packaging have prompted the need to find alternatives that are sustainable. This research assessed the feasibility of groundnut shell and corn cob as materials to fabricate biodegradable myco-composites to be used in packaging. Five formulations with different ratios of groundnut shell to corn cob (100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100) and constant supplements of 10% rice bran and 1% calcium carbonate was used. The best overall performance was indicated in the 25% groundnut shell: 75% corn cob formulation (Sample 4) which exhibited the fastest rate of colonization with the highest flexural strength (0.160 N/mm 2), compressive strength (65.13 Mpa), impact strength (0.0043 J/mm), and energy at break. The myco-composites showed much better biodegradability and competitive mechanical properties in comparison to the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) control Sample. Even though the impact strength of all samples was rather low, the composites developed demonstrated promising properties in secondary packaging, cushioning, and single-use applications. This study has proved that groundnut shell and corn cob can be successfully converted into environmentally friendly myco-composites that could be used as sustainable packaging material particularly where lightweight structure, moderate moisture resistance, and environmental sustainability are required.