Lotus, an underutilised aquatic plant with strong fibres, shows potential as a raw material for biodegradable packaging. Against this backdrop, this study aimed to develop a biodegradable packaging material by harnessing Lotus fibre in conjunction with banana stems, pineapple leaves, and rice straw as reinforcing agents. Additionally, the influence of a tapioca starch binder was examined for comparative purposes. To further enhance the material's properties, a casein bio coating was applied. Analytical tests for mechanical properties, water barrier properties, functional groups, structure and microstructure, thermal properties and biodegradability were performed. The samples containing banana fibres (LB) showed the highest tensile strength (12.81 MPa) and bursting strength (7.09 KPa). The casein bio-coating enhanced all the mechanical properties while significantly improving the water resistance. The bio-coated samples showed contact angles within the range of 72.3–92.3°, with the samples containing pineapple leaf fibres showing the maximum. Infrared spectra analysis confirmed robust interactions among the reinforcing agents while scanning micrographs confirmed the influence of the bio-coating. The thermogravimetric analysis revealed the coating to be slightly improving the thermal stability. The notable crystallinity index of LB samples substantiated their remarkable mechanical properties. A great deal of biodegradation was seen in 20 days of soil burial, which was expedited by the coating. The material was also able to be formed into carry bags without difficulty, thereby indicating the suitability of this material as a viable eco-friendly solution to plastic carry bags.

中文翻译：

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开发塑料手提袋的可持续包装替代品：利用带有酪蛋白生物涂层的强化莲花纤维来增强性能

莲花是一种未得到充分利用的水生植物，具有强纤维，显示出作为可生物降解包装原材料的潜力。在此背景下，本研究旨在利用莲花纤维与香蕉茎、菠萝叶和稻草作为增强剂，开发一种可生物降解的包装材料。此外，出于比较目的，还检查了木薯淀粉粘合剂的影响。为了进一步增强材料的性能，应用了酪蛋白生物涂层。对机械性能、阻水性能、官能团、结构和微观结构、热性能和生物降解性进行了分析测试。含有香蕉纤维（LB）的样品表现出最高的拉伸强度（12.81 MPa）和破裂强度（7.09 KPa）。酪蛋白生物涂层增强了所有机械性能，同时显着提高了耐水性。生物涂层样品的接触角在 72.3–92.3° 范围内，其中含有菠萝叶纤维的样品显示出最大接触角。红外光谱分析证实了增强剂之间的强大相互作用，而扫描显微照片证实了生物涂层的影响。热重分析表明涂层的热稳定性略有提高。 LB 样品显着的结晶度指数证实了其卓越的机械性能。在土壤掩埋 20 天后，发现了大量的生物降解，而涂层加速了这种降解。该材料还能够毫无困难地形成手提袋，从而表明该材料适合作为塑料手提袋的可行的环保解决方案。