The Production of Biodegradable Plastic from Biga (Alocasia macrorrhizos) Tuber Starch

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Each year, about 500 billion plastic bags are utilized globally. The improvement of short-lived bio-degradable plastic is realized as a major objective and so the usage of starch as a natural, raw material for degradable thermoplastics is seen as an important goal (Karimi et al., 2014). The increase in the productivity of agricultural products caused an increase in the deposition of "Biga" tubers wastes in the locality of Glan. This can be considered as bio-waste products of the industry. Aside from utilizing "biga" as chips, no other products were made out of biga tubers. From the aforementioned issues above, the researchers aimed to investigate the potential of biga (Alocasia macrorrhizos) tubers starch as biodegradable plastic. In addition, it aimed to compare significant differences between biga bio plastic and the commercially produced plastic in terms of flammability, biodegradability, and tensile strength.

METHODS

The researchers collected biga (Alocasia macrorrhizos) tuber in one of the researchers' backyard where it is found available. The biga (Alocasia macrorrhizos) tuber was then peeled and washed off with distilled water. It was then subjected for starch production. After starch was obtained from the biga (Alocasia macrorrhizos) tuber, the samples underwent flammability test, tensile strength, and biodegradability test.

RESULTS

For the flammability testing, it obtained a mean averageof 130.66s. While for the biodegradability test it obtained 1.03g as the mean average of the change in mass. These results were subjected to t -test to find out if there is a significant difference between the commercial bio plastics and the biodegradable plastics from biga (Alocasia macrorrhizos) tuber. The result of t -test indicates that there is a significant difference because the P is lesser than (P<0.05). However, for the tensile strength testing, it obtained a p -value of 0.37 which is greater than 0.05. Result indicates that it has no significant difference between the commercial one when results were analyzed using t -test.

DISCUSSIONS

(Alocasia macrorrhizos) tuber starch has high potentials in terms of these two tests associated to the commercial bio plastics. Nevertheless, tensile strength test being conducted obtained no significant difference between the experimental and the control group. Still, biga (Alocasia macrorrhizos) tuber starch may be a potential material for biodegradable plastics. Because of the limitations being set in this study, this research urges future researchers to test for the resistivity to check for the electrical resistance potentials of biga (Alocasia macrorrhizos) tuber starch. Thus, it is recommended to conduct clarity test for the samples also. Practicability test should be conducted to compare its practicality with that of commercial biodegradable plastics. Lastly, development processes to produce plastic bags from biga (Alocasia macrorrhizos) tuber starch should be studied.