Plasticizers are the binding substances used to increase the elasticity of materials. In this research work, bioplastic is extracted from banana peels using various plasticizers such as, glycerol, urea, distilled water and glucose. The prepared bioplastics were characterized by using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis which showed that the peak at 3355 cm-1 indicate the H-bonding formation between N-H urea and starch. The physicochemical properties such as water absorption test, soil decomposition and load test of synthesized bioplastics were analyzed at ambient temperature. The water uptake analysis showed that bioplastic absorbs water for up to 4 days without being decay. The load test showed that urea plasticized bioplastic has a high tensile strength of 2.3 KPa. The result revealed that the bioplastic with glucose as a plasticizer showed the effective result in water uptake and soil decomposition test whereas the urea plasticized bioplastic showed relatively good tensile strength.

Starch-based bioplastics are prepared from the waste of food materials and are widely used as the short-lived biodegradable plastic for household and food packaging applications. In this work, glycerol plasticized starch (extracted from potato peels)bioplastics blended with Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) in various compositions (wt.-%) were prepared, and characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and their physicochemical properties such as water absorption, biodegradable properties, and acid-base resistance were investigated. The FTIR spectra of starch-based bioplastics blended with PVA of the peak at 2924 cm-1 portrayed good compatibility between starch bioplastics and PVA. The water absorption test showed that the increase in starch proportion in starch/PVA blend increases water absorption capacity. The higher weight ratio of starch in starch/ PVA blend bioplastics degraded more rapidly than other bioplastics. Furthermore, the bioplastics of higher starch content resist acid and base for 45 and 42 hours respectively without being dissolved.

In this work, chitin and chitosan were obtained from prawn shell wastages by chemical treatment method. Structural characterization of chitin and chitosan by FTIR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and 13C NMR clearly showed the formation of chitosan from chitin. The physico-chemical properties of chitosan viz. molecular weight, moisture content, ash content and degree of deacetylation (DD) were analyzed. The optimum condition of deacetylation process to obtain chitosan from chitin was analyzed. The FTIR spectra showed the characteristic peaks corresponding to hydroxy, acetamido and amino functionalities of chitosan obtained from partial deacetylation of chitin and the solid state 13C NMR showed the formation of chitosan with characteristic peaks. XRD showed the shifting of crystallinity phases showing more crystallinity of chitin than chitosan. XPS spectrum of prepared chitin with the peaks corresponding to N, C and O binding energy was analogous to the standard. The effect of chitosan coating in extension of postharvest life of Kaphal (Myrica esculenta) fruits was investigated and chitosan coating was observed to have a potential to prolong storage life, control decay and weight loss.

Urea Formaldehyde (UF) resins have good chemical resistivity and high thermal stability, making them an excellent choice in the construction industry. They, however, pulverize quickly and have low strength and toughness. In this work, magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles were added to UF as nanofillers to influence its compressive strength. MgO nanoparticles were synthesized by reducing magnesium nitrate at different concentrations, using orange peel extract. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) techniques were used to confirm the formation of MgO nanoparticles. XRD results showed the formation of 43 nm, 35.28 nm, and 32.5 nm sized nanoparticles for 0.1 M, 0.2 M, and 0.4 M concentrations respectively. The varying-sized MgO nanoparticles were used for the preparation of UF/MgOnanocomposite at different weight-percentage (wt-%) ratios. A comparative study on the compressive strength of Urea Formaldehyde resins and UF/MgO was performed. From the results, it was found that the addition of MgO nanoparticles to UF resin enhances the compressive strength at certain wt-% ratios.

In recent years, considerable attention is given in various nanomaterials development using biodegradable wastes for establishing more eco‐friendly technologies. Due to the biocompatible, biodegradable, and non‐toxic nature hydroxyapatite (HAp) and chitosan (CS) are highly studied in recent times. In this research work, HAp and CS were synthesized in a nanometric range using the bio‐wastes obtained from chicken bones and pila shells, respectively. In addition, HAp/CS nanocomposites were also prepared through the co‐precipitation method in various weight ratios. The synthesized nanomaterials and nanocomposites were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The XRD pattern analysis revealed the hexagonal crystalline structure of HAp and orthorhombic crystallite structure of CS with crystallite sizes of 40.52 and 39.51 nm, respectively. The physical parameters such as d‐spacing, dislocation density, stacking fault probability, and lattice strain of HAp and CS were also analyzed. The FTIR spectra analysis confirmed the formation of HAp and CS. Likewise, the broadening and weakening of the chemical bond between two phases of HAp and CS indicated the bond formation and compatibility between HAp and CS.