Structural Characterization and Life Cycle Assessment of Sustainable Biocomposites from Raphia farinifera Inflorescence Cellulose

Structural Characterization and Life Cycle Assessment of Sustainable Biocomposites from Raphia farinifera Inflorescence Cellulose | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Structural Characterization and Life Cycle Assessment of Sustainable Biocomposites from Raphia farinifera Inflorescence Cellulose Emmanuel Agboeze, Vitus Anayo Ofordile, Henry Okechukwu Agboeze, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7313326/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Transition toward sustainable materials has become a priority as environmental concerns surrounding petroleum based plastics intensify. Cellulose was extracted from Raphia farinifera inflorescence (RFI-C) as a renewable reinforcement in biodegradable polymer composites through alkali and bleaching treatments, cellulose was successfully isolated and structurally characterized. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed effective removal of lignin and hemicellulose, while X-ray Diffraction (XRD) revealed 68.5% high crystallinity index an indicative of enhanced compatibility with polymer matrices. Thermogravimetric analysis results showed a thermal stability degradation onset temperature of 290°C. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis indicated a specific surface area of 38.7 m²/g and pore volume of 0.132 cm³/g while mechanical testing revealed a tensile strength of 52.3 MPa, confirming its reinforcement potential. Biodegradability was validated through a 60-day soil burial test, where progressive weight losses of 8.2–30.1% were observed. A preliminary Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) using SimaPro software integrated long-range transport and end-of-life decomposition. Results showed RFI-C composites emitted ~ 1.8 kg CO₂-eq/kg and consumed ~ 12 MJ/kg of energy significantly lower than conventional plastic counterparts. Reductions in human toxicity, eutrophication and fossil resource depletion further reinforced its environmental benefits. The findings establish RFI-C as a promising (bio) based material with excellent inherent biodegradability, thermal, mechanical properties and a low environmental footprint. Its application aligns with global goals for sustainable materials, contributing meaningfully to plastic waste reduction, circular economy frameworks, and positive ecological impact. Cellulose Raphia farinifera Biodegradable composites Mechanical properties FTIR Crystallinity Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7313326","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":534463472,"identity":"8c748ff9-fec8-400c-a6ad-650866fc991f","order_by":0,"name":"Emmanuel Agboeze","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"Enugu state University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Emmanuel","middleName":"","lastName":"Agboeze","suffix":""},{"id":534463473,"identity":"762eb89b-6ed7-44de-9c8f-26427ddd536f","order_by":1,"name":"Vitus Anayo Ofordile","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, FCT","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Vitus","middleName":"Anayo","lastName":"Ofordile","suffix":""},{"id":534463474,"identity":"678ddc56-d12d-4234-ba6c-7d3de10bceee","order_by":2,"name":"Henry Okechukwu Agboeze","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Enugu state University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Henry","middleName":"Okechukwu","lastName":"Agboeze","suffix":""},{"id":534463475,"identity":"d69ad457-97dc-45cd-9fc3-f7ec26bee392","order_by":3,"name":"Nwanneka Emiliann Ireh","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Enugu state University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Nwanneka","middleName":"Emiliann","lastName":"Ireh","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-08-06 23:23:12","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7313326/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7313326/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":94592572,"identity":"388734a3-238d-4078-b60b-d83be43ae392","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:20","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":872314,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Revised1DiscoverEvEnvironmentalandSustainabilityImpactofRaphiafariniferaCelluloseforBiodegradableCompositesAutoRecovered.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/1bb73149e12643c9940e90b2.docx"},{"id":94591517,"identity":"349bdd7b-9894-4908-a5f5-5eb0fb1456e1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:22:20","extension":"json","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":6172,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"39108a9e5672451eb6e408c062245989.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/d6a2959d7b7dfcda67b15abb.json"},{"id":94592558,"identity":"51addee0-b2b5-4701-82c9-7cbf0823cb84","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:16","extension":"xml","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":128185,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"39108a9e5672451eb6e408c0622459891enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/fd9a55afb734aebd18954997.xml"},{"id":94592907,"identity":"ab42b727-5189-4259-9cf8-224043ded421","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:48","extension":"eps","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":46590,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"drawingimage1.eps","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/065a05e4c14b492e44eea7ba.eps"},{"id":94592643,"identity":"f9b60030-5226-4f02-b626-9c43368d662b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:32","extension":"eps","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":46690,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"drawingimage2.eps","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/2cf3cddd54e1fd1e949e18d1.eps"},{"id":94592605,"identity":"60ba8137-5881-49c6-a238-632cd7abe342","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:28","extension":"eps","order_by":5,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":46370,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"drawingimage3.eps","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/badc4ffbdab1db058446d773.eps"},{"id":94591611,"identity":"fc08ec1e-40aa-48bd-8f66-b06a278ce713","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:22:30","extension":"eps","order_by":6,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":46530,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"drawingimage4.eps","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/d268f18a158fd6c525c92c92.eps"},{"id":94592610,"identity":"791a2822-221f-4df8-9503-6d5c10ed2e1e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:29","extension":"eps","order_by":7,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":46344,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"drawingimage5.eps","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/89ee0e4ca5bbf0a9af74ecd9.eps"},{"id":94592560,"identity":"9f603b97-1805-4ed9-9bff-79916bb073fe","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:17","extension":"eps","order_by":8,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":46507,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"drawingimage6.eps","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/a58cb4e8b2f73f246b315a7f.eps"},{"id":94592872,"identity":"ab67ca88-d6cc-4f21-89c1-de46bd787bfb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:47","extension":"png","order_by":9,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":44615,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/d7159b6e3e7845a2342f38d8.png"},{"id":94591830,"identity":"6ce6edad-28d3-4204-aeb8-618682c7f3d8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:22:42","extension":"png","order_by":10,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":89720,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage10.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/c3893a0e60d2665d0068fd26.png"},{"id":94592647,"identity":"37e2b7bb-9ed6-4546-b98c-07443879ae2b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:32","extension":"png","order_by":11,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":39062,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage11.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/fd281aa207cc10fb2457ccc6.png"},{"id":94592595,"identity":"ffb22a58-347d-4365-b00e-24b19d470366","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:25","extension":"png","order_by":12,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":43836,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage12.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/3f945f452bdfb2e4b8467ebc.png"},{"id":94591835,"identity":"08010d82-19d8-46ae-9ecc-b44eb60beec6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:22:42","extension":"png","order_by":13,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":43789,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/cc2a09175000694c7bd1a5dd.png"},{"id":94592839,"identity":"aabc3d2a-bc20-4267-a952-b7c67361f8d8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:46","extension":"jpeg","order_by":14,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":72752,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage3.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/741eb0701f3671a265164d33.jpeg"},{"id":94592646,"identity":"7fc9f4e9-a9ae-4ce6-ac80-4a4626a01944","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:32","extension":"jpeg","order_by":15,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":33377,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage4.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/fd29232eb3c64ef9ae87c123.jpeg"},{"id":94592631,"identity":"53df0fd3-5bf3-4c18-9b9a-f8a53ccd3ce7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:31","extension":"jpeg","order_by":16,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":74983,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage5.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/16e8c77e6e7909ecab34dbff.jpeg"},{"id":94591943,"identity":"93e77ca6-e5f5-41ca-ba84-b5be53928a15","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:22:50","extension":"jpeg","order_by":17,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":52678,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage6.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/11cdb8958fbd7f40a956fa2a.jpeg"},{"id":94592371,"identity":"be8a92fb-eba7-4baf-85a3-435a65fce648","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:11","extension":"png","order_by":18,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":69042,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage7.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/680adb4031a750b8b9092c05.png"},{"id":94592873,"identity":"730021e5-a068-4dda-b5d2-4ff959778d22","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:47","extension":"png","order_by":19,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":89581,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage8.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/8b248cca46d6f3211669a2e3.png"},{"id":94592596,"identity":"c0021030-68e1-419b-955a-3e2638bc049b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:25","extension":"png","order_by":20,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":128181,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage9.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/c75f40f49b484513a2eb4f4a.png"},{"id":94591866,"identity":"fd9fc12e-5d4f-4389-9447-54274a83ad8c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:22:45","extension":"png","order_by":21,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":24751,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/08bc9ca919d40995ee7a3e7e.png"},{"id":94592939,"identity":"c9cfed7a-38ce-4e07-962e-e8f20f0ba519","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:53","extension":"png","order_by":22,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":36621,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage10.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/bdf0e15cf737a1e0e59506df.png"},{"id":94591944,"identity":"aab97c1d-23dd-426b-9116-bc48caf3b0b2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:22:50","extension":"png","order_by":23,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":12955,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage11.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/82715a4f05ce25f3c27ea6dc.png"},{"id":94591947,"identity":"eb8d6753-3173-47a8-b231-51778470f815","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:22:50","extension":"png","order_by":24,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":12607,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage12.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/273fd8371dc8fc5a9299aa78.png"},{"id":94591838,"identity":"4cb94efd-7145-4c77-a60b-5deaac2d4a24","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:22:43","extension":"png","order_by":25,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":24756,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/34e163f9e710d5010dc2b5b1.png"},{"id":94591844,"identity":"c1b05660-7dd5-4e87-b54d-8feee483dc09","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:22:43","extension":"png","order_by":26,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":19338,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/cdad7b990cff1f252239fbe8.png"},{"id":94592323,"identity":"51f239d6-5c5c-46ab-8481-ddb816455af2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:02","extension":"png","order_by":27,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":11070,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/f32285d1b414956b80fda946.png"},{"id":94592838,"identity":"38118568-758b-4879-a482-63cc87056842","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:46","extension":"png","order_by":28,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":161064,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/f58b14d96a29edce804dafa0.png"},{"id":94598899,"identity":"bccadf1b-2230-44fb-93e8-766d8d154514","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:57:56","extension":"png","order_by":29,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":20201,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/8b0c0ed5dd582b016d2aad16.png"},{"id":94592385,"identity":"f42de94c-a780-486c-a713-4fdffd7e7698","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:11","extension":"png","order_by":30,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":28175,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage7.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/8f9f76f354977f81960f4d40.png"},{"id":94599019,"identity":"9e854307-1bc8-4b62-bb1e-782dc4440242","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 19:01:37","extension":"png","order_by":31,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":36585,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage8.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/bac78f9691451694f6874880.png"},{"id":94592802,"identity":"6bfa1948-ff03-48d6-8009-1ca1b1d1e09e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:44","extension":"png","order_by":32,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":35568,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage9.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/4e137816c74b4309f361832d.png"},{"id":94592934,"identity":"7cd3fb16-9a7e-4637-8d33-1712bd16daab","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:23:51","extension":"xml","order_by":33,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":123687,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"39108a9e5672451eb6e408c0622459891structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/50e605d211ed8f0886d088d3.xml"},{"id":94591523,"identity":"61d74014-a6d1-4010-be64-ff147721a31c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:22:21","extension":"html","order_by":34,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":136448,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1/998b1758c8e5d4704bd0c753.html"},{"id":100787380,"identity":"c8459cbc-f211-4b31-91cf-a7c64b6cb47e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-21 12:01:38","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":706633,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Revised1DiscoverEvEnvironmentalandSustainabilityImpactofRaphiafariniferaCelluloseforBiodegradableCompositesAutoRecovered.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7313326/v1_covered_e62268b0-4781-4542-856e-e2215eebbe8e.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Structural Characterization and Life Cycle Assessment of Sustainable Biocomposites from Raphia farinifera Inflorescence Cellulose","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Cellulose, Raphia farinifera, Biodegradable composites, Mechanical properties, FTIR, Crystallinity","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7313326/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7313326/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eTransition toward sustainable materials has become a priority as environmental concerns surrounding petroleum based plastics intensify. Cellulose was extracted from Raphia farinifera inflorescence (RFI-C) as a renewable reinforcement in biodegradable polymer composites through alkali and bleaching treatments, cellulose was successfully isolated and structurally characterized. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed effective removal of lignin and hemicellulose, while X-ray Diffraction (XRD) revealed 68.5% high crystallinity index an indicative of enhanced compatibility with polymer matrices. Thermogravimetric analysis results showed a thermal stability degradation onset temperature of 290\u0026deg;C. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis indicated a specific surface area of 38.7 m\u0026sup2;/g and pore volume of 0.132 cm\u0026sup3;/g while mechanical testing revealed a tensile strength of 52.3 MPa, confirming its reinforcement potential. Biodegradability was validated through a 60-day soil burial test, where progressive weight losses of 8.2\u0026ndash;30.1% were observed. A preliminary Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) using SimaPro software integrated long-range transport and end-of-life decomposition. Results showed RFI-C composites emitted\u0026thinsp;~\u0026thinsp;1.8 kg CO₂-eq/kg and consumed\u0026thinsp;~\u0026thinsp;12 MJ/kg of energy significantly lower than conventional plastic counterparts. Reductions in human toxicity, eutrophication and fossil resource depletion further reinforced its environmental benefits. The findings establish RFI-C as a promising (bio) based material with excellent inherent biodegradability, thermal, mechanical properties and a low environmental footprint. Its application aligns with global goals for sustainable materials, contributing meaningfully to plastic waste reduction, circular economy frameworks, and positive ecological impact.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Structural Characterization and Life Cycle Assessment of Sustainable Biocomposites from Raphia farinifera Inflorescence Cellulose","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-10-28 16:47:58","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7313326/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"41e107e8-0b5f-49a3-b56f-14b400f32781","owner":[],"postedDate":"October 28th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-01-21T11:46:01+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-10-28 16:47:58","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7313326","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7313326","identity":"rs-7313326","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}