Characterization, Biodegradation and Numerical Analysis of Black Cumin Cake-Filled PLA Composites for Eco-Cutlery Applications

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This study develops and characterizes polylactic acid (PLA) based biocomposites reinforced with black cumin cake (BC) for biodegradable cutlery applications. BC was incorporated at 20–40 wt% alongside 3 wt% talc and compatibilized with maleated PLA. Neat PLA exhibited a tensile strength of 46.34 MPa and modulus of 1043 MPa, while 40% of BC added sample showed reduced strength (12.20 MPa), which improved to 15.30 MPa with compatibilization. The addition of BC significantly enhanced surface hardness from 77.83 Shore D (PLA) to 84.9 Shore D (BC40). DSC results showed a substantial rise in crystallinity from 5.18% (PLA) to 27.60% at 30 wt% BC and the complete suppression of cold crystallization. Thermal stability decreased with BC loading, with T5 falling from 290.4°C to 214.2°C, while char yield increased from 0.5% to 14.5%. Soil burial tests demonstrated enhanced biodegradation, with mass loss increasing from 0.22% (PLA) to 42.4% in 40 wt% BC after 46 weeks. Finite element simulations revealed a reduction in load-bearing capacity from 5.275 N (PLA) to 1.75 N (BC40). The results demonstrate that BC represent a promising filler to produce sustainable PLA biocomposites with acceptable mechanical, thermal, and biodegradation properties for eco-cutlery applications.