In this study, chuño starch films were elaborated using acid hydrolysis, which was incorporated with different concentrations of eucalyptus essential oil (EEO). The reinforcement of the films was made by adding microfibers of Stipa obtusa (MFSO), a native Peruvian natural fiber rich in cellulose. The films were produced through the tape casting technique. The barrier properties presented swelling and solubility values of 1.478 and 0.439 g/g, respectively, at an optimal ratio of 7 % starch on a dry basis. An improvement in the modulus of elasticity of the films obtained was observed by incorporating concentrations of MFSO, starting at 0.55 %, in the polymeric matrix during the synthesis process. The FTIR spectra of the control film and the films reinforced with MFSO exhibited the same bands, due to the chemical similarities between starch and cellulose; micrographs of the reinforced film...

This research aimed to establish a methodology for isolating and characterizing nanofibrillated cellulose (CNF) from Stipa obtusa, using low concentrations of reagents and their characterization. The fibers were collected in high Andean areas of Cusco in Peru, treated with the alkaline-assisted steam explosion, followed by bleaching and acid fibrillation procedures, and with steam explosion, using solutions with varying concentrations of oxalic acid. The CNF was characterized by analytical methods according to TAPPI standards and using XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, and TGA techniques. The optimum values for obtaining the CNFs were: alkaline treatment with NaOH 0.5 M and acid treatment with 8% (m/m) of oxalic acid. These parameters were used to obtain a CNF network with a non-uniform surface and diameters between 19 and 27 nm, 82.97% (m/m) of cellulose, and a crystallinity index of 52.92%. Further...

Environmental contamination by heavy metals, such as lead (Pb2+), presents significant risks to ecosystems and public health, necessitating the development of innovative and sustainable remediation methods. This study introduces a novel adsorbent derived from microcellulose (MC) extracted from Stipa obtusa, a grass species native to the Andean regions of Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia, for the removal of lead ions from aqueous solutions. MC fibers were isolated through thermochemical processing, followed by chemical functionalization with sodium chlorite (NaClO2). The resulting functionalized microfibers (FMC) were characterized using elemental analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Batch adsorption experiments identified optimal conditions: an ...