Characterization of bioplastic derived from corn starch and its degradation in soil / Muhammad Aiman Hakim Mohd Narudi

The widespread usage of petroleum-based plastics has raised environmental concerns, necessitating the development of sustainable and biodegradable substitutes. Because cornstarch is abundant, renewable, and biodegradable, it has become a promising raw material for the production of bioplastics. However, the performance and suitability of cornstarch-based bioplastics for practical applications remain largely dependent on their properties. An important consideration when evaluating the sustainability and environmental impact of bioplastics as substitutes for traditional plastics is how they break down in soil. Thus, the purpose of this study is to use a variety of testing techniques (soaking in water, water absorption, moisture absorption, and solubility test) to describe the characteristics of commercial bioplastic made from cornstarch. FTIR spectroscopy was used to identify the functional group for bioplastic made from cornstarch in soils. The reclaimed sample soils from UITM Cawangan Terengganu, Campus Kuala Terengganu (KT), and the natural sample soils are from Al-Mukhtafi Billah Shah (AMBS) and have been exposed to plastic contamination for a while. The material's swelling and softening are evident in the results, which also reveal partial disintegration after four weeks of soaking in water. The percentages of moisture and water absorption are 3.04% and 17.45%, respectively. The bioplastic does not dissolve in water, according to the results of the solubility test, but it does interact more with alcohol-based solvents and alkaline solutions when tested at two different temperatures (room temperature and high temperature, 60°C to 75°C). These findings are consistent with those of earlier studies. According to the FTIR spectrum, the presence of starchbased bioplastic in the soil samples is indicated by peaks at the range of 3200-3600/cm, 1640-1740/cm, 1000-1200/cm, and O-H stretching, C=O stretching (carbonyl groups), C-O-C stretching, and O-H bending, respectively. To sum up, this study will add important information about the viability and environmental impact of bioplastics made from cornstarch. To ascertain whether the presence of bioplastic can impact the quality of the soil, more research must be done.