Gokulkumar SivananthamDivya DivakaranIndran SuyambulingamG. Suganya PriyadharshiniMunusamy, YamunaYamunaMunusamyAdhigan MuraliSung Soo Han2025-10-152025-10-152025-0410.1016/j.psep.2025.106864https://dspace-cris.utar.edu.my/handle/123456789/11495This study addresses the global demand for sustainable materials by isolating and characterizing microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from rice stalk agro-waste and applying it to enhance the mechanical properties of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) biofilms. Rice stalk MCC (RSMCC) was extracted using chemical treatments, including alkalization, acid hydrolysis, and bleaching. The extracted MCC was characterized by Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV-visible spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). RSMCC was incorporated into the PBAT films at 0-5 wt% concentrations using the solution casting method, and the biofilms' mechanical properties were evaluated. RSMCC exhibited a crystallinity index of 75.75 %, thermal stability up to 200 degrees C, and an average particle size of 134.068 mu m. Incorporating 4 wt% RSMCC into PBAT achieved the highest tensile strength (28.16 MPa) and modulus (15.92 MPa). The results demonstrated RSMCC's effectiveness of RSMCC as a reinforcing agent, enhancing the mechanical and thermal properties of PBAT biofilms. These findings support RSMCC's potential of RSMCC for the development of biodegradable and sustainable packaging materials.enMicrocrystalline cellulose (MCC)PBATRice stalkBiopolymerBiomaterialHYDROLYSISFIBERSFILMSHEMICELLULOSENANOCRYSTALSEXTRACTIONACIDjournal-article