Properties of Bioplastic Made from Banana Peel with Addition of Plasticizer (Urea and Fructose)

Lee, Wing Lin (2023) Properties of Bioplastic Made from Banana Peel with Addition of Plasticizer (Urea and Fructose). Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

In this research, our first objective was to investigate the effect of different concentrations and types of plasticizers (urea and fructose) on the properties of banana peel starch-based film (BP). Next, our second objective was to determine the best composition of the bioplastic films plasticized with urea (BP-U) and fructose (BP-F). The BP-U and BP-F films were produced and characterized using water absorptivity test, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), tensile test, differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) and biodegradation test. Fructose acts as a water resistant agent while urea acts as water absorbent agent. In DSC analysis, the melting point of the BP films decreases when the plasticizer content increases. The tensile strength of BP films decreased with increasing plasticizer concentration, while elongation at break increased. The banana film plasticized with 25% of urea showed the lowest tensile strength (2.27 MPa) and the highest elongation at break (10.18%). The phenomenon known as antiplasticizer and phase separation enhanced the rigidity and thermal stability of the bioplastics films. Additionally, biodegradation of the BP films increased with higher plasticizer concentration. The BP-U films exhibit higher biodegradability compared to BP-F films due to their good water absorptivity which promotes the binding and degradation of the bioplastic film by microorganisms.