INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

CHEMISTRY

2019-2020
JAWAHAR NAVODAYA VIDYALAYA
HATTA. (DAMOH)

NAME PARV RAI

CLASS 12 SCIENCE
 DECLARATION
I PARV RAI
OF CLASS XII SCIENCE,
ROLL NUMBER

SUBMITTING THIS COPY OF

CHEMISTRY PROJECT AS AN
EVIDENCE OF MY WORK IN THIS
CHEMISTRY LABORATORY
JAWAHAR NAVODAYA VIDYALAYA
HATTA (DAMOH)
 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that this project titled

MAKING OF PLASTIC FROM POTATO

successfully completed by

PARV RAI
with
Reg.No. ...................
as a course of CHEMISTRY investigatory project
prescribed by the CBSE under the CBSE course in the
Chemistry Laboratory of this school in the year 2019-2020

Signature of the Signature of the

Internal examiner External Examiner
Signature of the
Principal
INDEX
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
 AIM
 THEORY
 REQUIREMENTS
 PROCEDURE
 EXTRACTION OF THE STARCH
 OBSERVATION
 RESULT
 SNAPSHOTS
 PRECAUTIONS
 BIBILIOGRAPHY
 Acknowledgement
THIS ENTIRE WORK OUTLINED HERE WAS CARRIED OUT UNDER THE
ENCOURAGING AND INSPIRING GUIDANCE BY OUR BELOVED TEACHER
……………………………………PGT CHEMISTRYJNV HATTA

I ACKNOWLEDGE MY DEEP INDEBTEDNESS TO HER GUIDANCE AND

HELP

I ALSO THANK TO MR. WASIM KHAN(LAB ATTENDANT) FOR HER

CONTINIOUS SUPPORT AND HELP

I HAVE PLEASURE IN REGARDING MY SINCERE THANKS TO OUR

PRINCIPAL SHRI A.K.TRIPATHI JNV HATTA FOR HIS HELP AND
ENCOURAGEMENT TO BRING OUT THUIS PROJECT SUCCESSFULLY.
ALSO THANK MR. PGT CS JNV BANGALORE FOR HIS HELP
AND SUPPORT

I ALSO EXTENT MY HEARTLY THANKS TO THE TEACHING AND NON

TEACHING STAFF AND ALSO MY FRIENDS FOR THEIR KEEN INTEREST
AND ENCOURAGEMENT

AIM
In this activity we will make a plastic from potato
starch and investigate the effect that adding a
‘plasticizer’ has on the properties of the polymer
that they make.

THEORY
Potato Plastic is consisting of only potato starch and
water. The technical part of this product is the
production of the material. First, the exact amount of
both ingredients are mixed together, and then
heated until the fluid thickens. It is then poured into
molds and exposed to heat until is a dry compact
piece. Regarding of how much fluid is poured into a
mold, the material can either become a thick, tough
piece, or a thin film. This material is a kind of
thermoplastic, which means that it can be molded
under compression when it is exposed to heat and
moisture. This opens up for many design
possibilities, regarding everything from product
selection to detailed patterns on the surface of the
material. Since no extreme heat is needed, the
molds can be made of plastic. This decreases the
cost significantly compared to if the molds would be
made of metal.

The fast-food industry has for a long time been

characterized by plastic products, since plastic is
cheap, hygienic, and light but strong. Though, there
is an ambiguity in making these products in plastic
since it has the capacity to last for 450 years,
whereas the period of use is most commonly around
20 minutes. A large percentage of the plastic that is
circulating in our environment comes from the fast-
food industry's products, probably since they are
grab and go-friendly. This, in combination with their
quality, is devastating for the environment.
Therefore, I see an opportunity in adapting their
quality to their planned length of life.

REQUIREMENTS
 APPARTUS
1. Beakers (400 cm3), 4
2. Large pestle and mortar
3. Beaker (250 cm3)
4. Large watch glass
5. Bunsen burner
6. Heat resistant mat
7. Tripod
8. Gauze
9. Stirring rod
10. Petri dish or white tile
11. Universal indicator paper
12. Teat pipettes
13. Measuring cylinder (25 cm3)
14. Measuring cylinder (10 cm3)

 CHEMICALS
1. Dilute hydrochloric acid, 0.1 M, about 10 cm3
2. Dilute sodium hydroxide, 0.1 M (IRRITANT), about 10
cm3
3. Potatoes, 100 g
4. Distilled water, about 500 cm3
5. Potato starch - either extracted in the first part or 2.5 g
of bought potato starch
6. Food colouring
7. Propane-1,2,3-triol (glycerol), 2 cm3

PROCEDURE
Extracting the starch

 Grate about 100 g of potato. The potato does not

need to be peeled, but it should be clean. Put the
potato into the mortar.
 Add about 100 cm3 of distilled water to the mortar,
and grind the potato carefully.
 Pour the liquid off through the tea strainer into the
beaker, leaving the potato behind in the mortar.
 Repeat steps b and c twice more.
 Leave the mixture to settle in the beaker for 5 mins.
 Decant the water from the beaker, leaving behind the
white starch which should have settled in the bottom.
Put about 100 cm3 of distilled water in with the starch
and stir gently. Leave to settle again and then decant
the water, leaving the starch behind.
Making the plastic film
Put 22 cm3 of water into the beaker and add 4 g of
the potato starch slurry from the previous step (or 25
cm3 water and 2.5 g of commercial potato starch), 3
cm3 of hydrochloric acid and 2 cm3 of propane-1,2,3-
triol.
 Put the watch glass on the beaker and heat the
mixture using the Bunsen burner. Bring it carefully to
the boil and then boil it gently for 15 mins. Do not boil
it dry. If it looks like it might, stop heating.
 Dip the glass rod into the mixture and dot it onto the
indicator paper to measure the pH. Add enough
sodium hydroxide solution to neutralise the mixture,
testing after each addition with indicator paper. You
will probably need to add about the same amount as
you did of acid at the beginning (3 cm3).
 You can then add a drop of food colouring and mix
thoroughly.
  Pour the mixture onto a labelled petri dish or white
tile and push it around with the glass rod so that there
is an even covering.
 Repeat the process, but leave out the propane-1,2,3-
triol.
 Label the mixtures and leave them to dry out. It takes
about one day on a radiator or sunny windowsill, or
two days at room temperature. Alternatively, use a
drying cabinet. It takes about 90 mins at 100 °C.

OBSERVATION.
Starch is made of long chains of glucose molecules joined
together. Strictly it contains two polymers: amylose which
is straight-chained and amylopectin which is branched.
When starch is dried from an aqueous solution it forms a
film due to hydrogen bonding between the chains.
However, the amylopectin inhibits the formation of the film.
Reacting the starch with hydrochloric acid breaks down
the amylopectin, forming more satisfactory film. This is the
product that students make without propane-1,2,3-triol.
The straight chains of the starch (amylose) can line up
together and although this makes a good film, it is brittle
because the chains are too good at lining up. Areas of the
film can become crystalline, which causes the brittleness.

RESULT
Adding propane-1,2,3-triol makes a difference due to
its hydroscopic (water attracting) properties. Water
bound to the propane-1,2,3-triol gets in amongst the
starch chains and stops the crystalline areas from
forming, preventing the brittleness and resulting in
more ‘plastic’ properties, thus acting as a
plasticiser.The propane-1,2,3-triol acts as a
plasticiser.
 PRECAUTIONS
1. Boil carefully, do not boil the mixture dry.
2. Slowly add Sodium hydroxide as it is corrosive.
3. Make sure that your teacher shows you the correct

technique.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Textbook of class 12 Chemistry.
Biology manual of class 12.
Textbook of 12 state board.
www.icbse.edu.in
www.ashkyahoo.com