Research articles
ScienceAsia 52 (2026): 1-8 |doi:
10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2026.031
Investigation of the physicochemical, thermal, and optical
properties of polyvinyl alcohol/gambir extract biocomposite
f
ilms
Ainul Kahfi Muhlasina,b, Poppy Puspitasaria,b,*, Avita Ayu Permanasaria, Dieter Rahmadiawanc,
Hairul Abrald,e, Diki Dwi Pramonoa,b
ABSTRACT: Biodegradablepolymerfilmswithimprovedsurface, thermal, andUV-protectivepropertiesareincreasingly
needed for sustainable packaging and protective material applications. In this study, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and
gambir extract were combined to develop biocomposite films through drying without heating and with different heating
durations of 10, 20, and 40 min. The heating duration effect on the morphology, elemental composition, functional
groups, crystallinity, wettability, porosity, thermal behavior, and optical properties of the films were systematically
investigated. Surface morphology analysis revealed that the sample with 40 min heating duration exhibited a smoother
and more homogeneous surface than the unheated film. Elemental analysis confirmed that all films were mainly
composed of carbon and oxygen, while Fourier transform infrared analysis showed similar functional group patterns
for all samples. The crystallinity index increased with increasing heating duration, indicating enhanced structural
ordering. Water contact angle measurements showed that longer heating durations reduced the hydrophilic nature of
the films, with the 40min-heatedsampleexhibiting the highest contact angle. In addition, this sample showed a smaller
average pore diameter, lower glass transition temperature, higher enthalpy of fusion at melting temperature, and higher
thermal decomposition temperature. Optical analysis further demonstrated that the PVA/gambir films provided good
UVprotection, particularly in the UV-B region. Overall, increasing the heating duration, especially to 40 min, improved
the physicochemical, thermal, and optical performance of the PVA/gambir biocomposite films.
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| a |
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Malang,
Malang 65145, East Java, Indonesia |
| b |
Nanomaterials Engineering Research Center, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang 65145, East Java, Indonesia |
| c |
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang 25173, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia |
| d |
Laboratory of Nanoscience and Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Andalas University,
Padang 25163, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia |
| e |
Research Collaboration Center for Nanocellulose, BRIN-Andalas University, Padang 25163, Indonesia |
* Corresponding author, E-mail: poppy@um.ac.id
Received 21 Dec 2023, Accepted 30 Mar 2026
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