Liew Sze Ming

The growing demand for sustainable packaging materials has accelerated interest in biomass-derived carbon fillers as functional reinforcements for biodegradable polymer composites. This review critically evaluates the use of carbon materials produced from agricultural residues, particularly palm kernel shell (PKS) and coconut shell (CS), in biopolymer composite coating films for food packaging applications. Recent thermochemical conversion routes, including carbonization, activation, and catalytic graphitization, are discussed in relation to their influence on filler morphology, porosity, surface chemistry, and graphitic ordering. Particular emphasis is placed on structure–property relationships in composite systems containing matrices such as polylactic acid (PLA), starch, chitosan, gelatin, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Published studies indicate that properly dispersed carbon fillers can improve tensile strength, thermal stability, ultraviolet shielding, and oxygen/water vapor barrier performance through stress-transfer mechanisms and tortuous diffusion pathways. However, excessive filler loading or poor interfacial compatibility frequently causes agglomeration, brittleness, and loss of transparency. Surface modification strategies including oxidation, silanization, and surfactant-assisted dispersion, are therefore reviewed as key approaches to optimize composite performance. Finally, current limitations involving migration safety, process scalability, and the lack of standardized testing protocols are discussed. Overall, PKS- and CS-derived carbon fillers represent promising sustainable additives for next-generation biopolymer composite packaging systems.