Multivariable analysis for selection of natural fibers as fillers for a sustainable food packaging industry

Ali, H. T., Alghtani, A. H., Felemban, B. F., Abd El-Aziz, K., Saber, D., Ahmed, E. M., Megahed, M. and Fotouhi, M. (2021) Multivariable analysis for selection of natural fibers as fillers for a sustainable food packaging industry. Materials Research Express, 8(9), 095504. (doi: 10.1088/2053-1591/ac17a9)

Abstract

There is a rising demand for advanced new materials in food packaging to meet the growing economic and sustainability requirements. Natural fibers have excellent mechanical and thermal isolation properties and lower production costs than synthetic fibers, making them suitable candidates for the development of sustainable food packaging. Other charac-teristics of natural fibers, i.e., low cost, easy availability, and low impact on the environment, making these materials a promising option for food packaging. The primary focus of this study is to utilize multivariable analysis, an analytic hierarchy process and a multi-criteria decision analysis to select appropriate natural fiber reinforcement for food packaging from commonly used plant fibers (coir, date palm, hemp, sisal, jute, flax, corn stalk, banana, bamboo, cotton). The multivariable selection system is used to compare crucial food packaging materials' requirements and production parameters gathered different properties including density, Young modulus, elongation to break, moisture content, thermal conductivity, cost, availability, etc., to help identify appropriate natural fibers. From the results, selecting the most appropriate natural fiber depends on the design requirements, cost, and availability; all these parameters are also affected by the geological conditions and customer needs. Single parameter comparison is used to compare the inves-tigated natural fiber; then analytic hierarchy process is used to rank the highest priority parameters for the natural fiber selection process. The results showed that density (22%), cost (13.6%), moisture content (11.7%), thermal conductivity (10.7%), elongation at break (7.7%), and Young modulus (7.4%) are rated in the order of priority. Hemp, banana and sisal fibers are ranked as the best choices for the food packaging by the multi-criteria decision analysis, i.e. TOPSIS. Examples are presented considering the multivariable analysis using radar charts to identify the best natural fibers source for countries such as Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India. Date palm is a preferred natural fiber source for food packaging reinforcement in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, whereas bamboo and jute are better choices for India and Bangladesh.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The authors would like to thank Taif University for its financial support. This research was fully funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research, Taif University, KSA. [Research group number 1-441-92].
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Fotouhi, Dr Mohammad

Creator Roles

Fotouhi, M.: Conceptualization, Writing – original draft, Supervision, Writing – review and editing

• Authors: Ali, H. T., Alghtani, A. H., Felemban, B. F., Abd El-Aziz, K., Saber, D., Ahmed, E. M., Megahed, M., and Fotouhi, M.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Autonomous Systems and Connectivity
• Journal Name: Materials Research Express
• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• ISSN: 2053-1591
• ISSN (Online): 2053-1591
• Published Online: 26 July 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Materials Research Express 8(9): 095504
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License