Cellulose-Pulp-Based Stretchable Composite Film with Hydroxyethyl Cellulose and Turmeric Powder for Packaging Applications

Cellulose pulp (CP), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), and turmeric-powder-based ecofriendly, transparent, and flexible composite films were prepared. The above-mentioned materials dissolved well with an environmentally friendly process using N-methyl morpholine N-oxide (NMMO) ionic liquids. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis studied their structure, microstructure, and morphology properties. Thermal properties of the CP/HEC/turmeric powder composites were thoroughly studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry analysis (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) instruments. The initial thermal stability of the composites was significantly improved by the addition of HEC. All the composite films exhibited a single glass transition temperature (Tg), and it was confirmed by both DSC and DMA analysis. The tensile strength (TS) of CP was 94.5 MPa, which decreased to 19 MPa for CP/HEC-1:0.5 composites, and then, it steadily increased to 24.7 MPa with an increment of HEC. Similarly, HEC increased the elongation at break (EB) of CP from 9.4 to 67.2%. The addition of HEC into the CP composite improved its flexibility, and it is more transparent in the visible light spectrum. The water vapor permeability (WVP) and swelling ratio of CP/HEC/turmeric powder composites were in the range of 1.35–1.61 × 10–9 g/m2 Pa and 185–209%, respectively. Furthermore, the composites have no cytotoxicity to the HaCat cell line. However, they exhibited excellent antioxidant properties. These merits of CP/HEC/turmeric powder composite establish them as a potential candidate for packaging and biomedical applications.