ABSTRACT

The study aims to produce biodegradable plastic using cassava and potato
starch as its main component. The starch was mixed with glycerol, glycerin , vinegar
and food colouring . The mixture was then heated until concentrated and set it on
aluminum foil to cool it down . Four preparations were made from the mixture. The
first and second preparation contained ? grams of cassava starch, ? grams glycerol
and ? grams of glycerin . The preparation contained ? grams of potato starch, ?
grams glycerol and ? grams of glycerin .The first preparation exhibited the most
desirable mechanical properties. The material produced was proven to
be biodegradable.

INTRODUCTION
Theory

There is an increasing demand for plastic, from the highly technological fields
of electronics, fiber optics, and pharmaceuticals to the basic necessities such as
sandwich wrappers and garbage bags. This high demand for plastics, however, has
been a major contributor to the world's present garbage problems. The use
of biodegradable plastics has already started in the United States. Some plastics use
cornstarch as an additive. This additive helps in the natural decomposition of the
plastic materials. Cassava and potato is basically composed of starch. Cassava and
potato starch is composed of two components: amylose and amylopectin. An
amylose is a long straight chain of polymer of anhydroglucose units. An amylopectin
is a branched chain compound, also of anhydroglucose units.

Because plastics are made of polymers, starch is a very favorable raw

material in plastic-making. The finished product was expected to be comparable to
commercial plastics in terms of clarity, reaction to water absorption, tensile stress
and tensile strain, bacteria resistance and flammability.

Literature review

The word plastic came from the Greek word plastikos, meaning capable of
being molded. Plastics can be as hard as metal or as soft as silk. They can take any
shape in almost any form due to the versatility of the carbon, the most common
backbone of polymer chains. Plastics can be conveniently divided into two
categories: semi-synthetic, in which the basic chain structure is derived from a
natural product, such as cellulose; and synthetic, which is built up chemically from
small units or monomers. Despite the various applications of plastics, drawbacks
have been encountered in three major points. Firstly, there are certain chemicals
used in the manufacture of .plastics that may cause allergic reactions. Three is a
need man from these threat. Secondly, sincecellulose films are biodegradable; they
are readily attacked by bacteria. Films and packaging materials from
synthetic polymers are normally attacked at a very low rate. New polymers such is
nylon, polyvinyl chloride and Polystyrene have replaced cellulose, the pioneer plastic
material. As a result, these plastic materials have become permanent wastes.

Starch is a natural organic polymer manufactured by green plants through

photosynthesis s to serve as metabolic reserve It occurs in the form of grains in
many parts of the plant, principally in embryonic tissues such as seeds, fruits, roots
and tubers.

Glycerol is the simplest trihydric alcohol. In commercial form, it is called glycerin. It is

a colorless odorless and viscous liquid with a sweet taste. It is completely soluble in
water and alcohol but is only slightly soluble in many common solvents, such as
ether, ethyl acetate and dioxane. It is widely used in coatings and paints,
pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Glycerin is a simple polyol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that

is sweet-tasting and non-toxic. The glycerol backbone is found in many lipids which
are known as glycerides. It is widely used in the food industry as a sweetener
and humectant in pharmaceutical formulations. Glycerol has three hydroxyl
groups that are responsible for its solubility in water and its hygroscopic nature.

Plastic production is relatively new technology. Experiments are being conducted to

relieve the negative effects 'of overproducing plastics. By changing its raw materials
and additives, commercial plastic may be improved so that it will become degradable
while retaining its good quality.

Problem statements
1) What is the suitable starch to use as plastic substitute ?

2)

Objective of the study :

This study is designed to develop a homemade bio-plastic which is a new and simple way of bio-
plastic based materials production without undergoes complicated industrial processes for
households’ usage. It is also attempt to work out the formula or recipe for homemade gelatine or
starch bio-plastic products. The objective can be further divided as follow:

i. To come out with a bio-plastic from starch

ii. To study the formulation for bio-plastics production,

iii. To determine the factor that affects the degradation of bio-plastics products.