Research Projects

The expected research aims in the extraction of nanocellulose from the matured stems of Elettaria cardamomum which are being dumped as agricultural waste during its cultivation. The stems are commonly dumped in the open or burned or used as a mulch though rarely. Apart from this, no other practical utility has been so far reported. The nanocellulose is expected to be extracted through mild organic acid hydrolysis after alkaline hydrolysis and bleaching procedures. The extracted nanocellulose is then characterized using different techniques like FTIR, XRD, TGA, DLS, SEM, TEM, AFM and Zeta potential calculations to study its morphology, crystallinity and thermal stability. Further, the extracted nanocellulose will then be exploited for the fabrication of composites for edible coating. This edible suspension possessing antimicrobial, super-hydrophobic and barrier properties. For this, nanocellulose will be used as a reinforcement in a polysaccharide matrix like pectin, starch or chitosan along with added anti-microbial and anti-oxidative agents including antibacterial, antifungal and anti-browning agents. In turn, the anti-microbial agents and anti-oxidants will be extracted from the traditionally used natural plant extracts to ensure that the synthesized edible coating suspension will be 100% green and safe. The coating suspension will be then spray coated over the fruits and vegetables. Then the coated fruits and vegetables will be examined for its shelf life assessment, quality standards, water vapor, gas barrier properties, antimicrobial and anti-oxidant properties. The colour and the freshness of the fruits and vegetables will also be examined for a number of days and studied. Studies on designing greener "smart packaging" will also be conducted with available natural pH sensors to ensure the quality and freshness of the fruit. The coating will also be studied for its applicability in other packaging applications apart from the edible coating technology. Also, the life cycle assessment of the coating, cost effectiveness and the feasibility in the practical application will also be considered. We expect the fabrication of low cost, greener, highly feasible nanocellulose based composites from low sector to the high sector.