Development and feasibility study of sustainable luffa- fiber biodegradable film for food packaging applications

The present study examines the preparation and performance of biodegradable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films reinforced with luffa fiber powder and functional agents, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastics. As plastics and environmental degradation have risen, bioplastics offer an appealing path to sustainable packaging. The films incorporating varying fiber levels (0–20 wt%) were fabricated and critically characterized in their physicomechanical characteristics, thermal properties, and morphological attributes. The film thickness varied directly with fiber level from 0.15 mm (F0) to 0.27 mm (F20). The mechanical behavior showed an optimum tensile strength of 6.6 N/mm² in sample F15, whereas an optimum burst strength of 280 kPa at the same concentration emphasized the optimized fiber addition. The addition of high fiber content led to agglomeration, resulting in poor performance at 20 wt%. The findings on water uptake showed greater hydrophilicity, with 83% maximum uptake in sample F20 films, indicating a high moisture storage capacity. The thermogravimetric analysis confirmed the temperature stability of the fabricated films, whereas the SEM micrographs showed optimal fiber dispersion and interfacial contact at the optimized levels. Generally, these findings demonstrate the efficacy of PVA-luffa fiber hybrids in exhibiting appealing functional properties and biodegradability, making them viable sustainable packaging alternatives to single-use plastics. The results demonstrate that PVA/luffa fiber composite films at 15 wt% fiber loading offer an optimal balance of mechanical performance, thermal stability, and biodegradability, establishing their potential as sustainable packaging alternatives to single-use plastics.