Characteristics of Bioplastic Made from Cassava Starch Filled with Fibers from Oil Palm Trunk at Various Amount

Abstract

Petroleum-based plastic causes a threat to the environment at the end of its use because it cannot decompose naturally. Therefore it is necessary to develop bioplastic for food packaging but has the same function as conventional plastic. Starch based bioplastic, generally made from cassava starch. The disadvantage of this bioplastic is its low mechanical strength and damage if exposed to water. One way to increase the mechanical strength of bioplastic is to add fiber. Oil palm trunks are the source of natural fiber that is available in considerable amounts. The purpose of this study was to find out the characteristics of bioplastic from cassava starch with the addition of oil palm trunk fiber, in various amount. Bioplastics are made by heating a solution of cassava starch (tapioca: distilled water = 1:20) at 70 °C for 1 hour while stirring. After starch solution was gelatinized, glycerol (0.3%) and citric acid (1%) was added, and stirring was continued for 15 minutes. Oil palm fiber from oil palm trunk is added to the solution of cassava starch as much as 0%, 1%, 3% and 5% of the weight of cassava starch. The bioplastic solution is then poured into a (20x20) cm acrylic sheet with a thickness of ± 5mm. Furthermore, it is cooled at room temperature for 3 days so that the bioplastic sheet is ready for mechanical strength testing based on ASTM D 882-75b Tensile Properties of Thin Plastic Sheeting, and for thermal properties testing with Thermo Gravimetry Analyzer. The addition oil palm trunk (OPT) cellulose fibers into bioplastic made from modified cassava starch, produce bioplastic with higher tensile strength compare to modified cassava starch bioplastic with addition of OPT pulp fibers. The decomposition temperature of bioplastic made from modified cassava starch with 1% OPT cellulose was higher than of bioplastic with 1% OPT pulp, indicates that bioplastic with 1% OPT cellulose fibers have better thermal stability compare to bioplastic with 1% OPT pulp fibers