Development and characterization of polyvinyl alcohol filled with date palm midrib powder

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L) is one of the most widely cultivated crops in different parts of Saudi Arabia. The midribs rich in cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin are often burnt in the farms, causes severe environmental problems. In the present study, date palm midrib (DPM), these waste materials were powdered and incorporated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Composites were prepared by varying the DPM loading (0–10 wt.%) using the solution casting method. Tensile and thermal properties were analyzed for the composites with respect to filler loading. Addition of DPM as filler enhanced the tensile modulus while an inverse effect was observed in the elongation values. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) analysis showed a gradual increase in melting temperature (T_m) and crystallinity values for PVA. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that the incorporation of DPM into PVA can increase the thermal stability of PVA. Morphology of the composites was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).