Edinburgh Napier University

  Biodegradable is a simple word but making it effective is a very complex term. This research aim is to develop and characterize biodegradable fiber from microalgae. This research objective is to test the fiber properties and ensure the usability and analysis of each property. The development of new plant fiber is nothing new but makes this fiber unique because of its natural origin and mechanical and chemical properties. And the development of new fiber is from microalgae, and the first step was to collect microalgae, convert them to Sodium Alginate, and make algae fiber through wet spinning. The ranges of additive concentration to make the solution: Sodium alginate; 35-65%, glycerol; 7-15%.The characterization has done on raw algae fiber without any treatment. Among all the properties, the fiber gave tremendous results on tensile strength ranging from 4-7 cN/Tex smooth surface. The algae fiber was regenerated cellulose fiber, which was semi-crystalline. Water absorbency speed was 2.1% at the stage of 10% RH, and moisture content and regained percentage were 9.4% and 8.1%, respectively. Algae fiber biodegrades less than 50% within 35 days, which is one of the best properties of this fiber. Algae fiber can efficiently decompose in controlled microbiological environments, such as composting and anaerobic digestion, rather than being dumped or dumped on the land. The intended application for algae fiber is casual clothing and wound dressing.