Preparation of starch-based bioplastics from local sweet potato, tapioca and pumpkin with plasticizer and filler / Wan Humaid Wan Hamid

A non-renewable resource, petroleum, is used to make a particular kind of plastic known as petroleum-based plastic. Petroleum-based plastic adds to the expanding problem of plastic pollution in seas and on land and takes hundreds of years to degrade. Plastic made from petroleum needs a lot of energy to produce, which increases greenhouse gas emissions. Some polymers made from petroleum may include dangerous compounds that might contaminate food and drink, endangering both human and animal health. Relying largely on plastic made from petroleum is not sustainable in the long run since petroleum is a limited resource. Because of this, efforts have been made to create biodegradable and environmentally friendly materials, such as bioplastic made from plant starch. Among the options, starch is a great replacement for synthetic polymers. This is due to the fact that it is plentiful in nature, cheap, non-toxic, renewable, biocompatible, and capable of possessing qualities similar to plastic. In this investigation, pumpkin, tapioca, and native sweet potatoes were used to extract starch. Then, bioplastic was prepared using the solution casting method. Glycerol and sorbitol were used as plasticizer. The physical properties of bioplastic such as moisture content was carried out. 17 bioplastic samples were produced with different compositions using the Box Behnken Design table. The optimal bioplastic composition is produced with expert design software. The sample has the highest moisture content, which is 21.16%. while sample 17 has the lowest moisture which is 1.52%. However, sample 6 and 17 are not plastic that have the best composition. The value of 0.66% is chosen as the optimal condition for the percentage of moisture content. Starch-derived substances offer a significant amount of potential for use as biodegradable polymers, which would significantly contribute to the protection of the natural environment.