Mechanical Properties of Bioplastic From Jackfruit Seed Flour and Polypropylene

Abstract

In this study, the bioplastic was successfully fabricated from jackfruit seed flour/polypropylene blend. Nowadays, the plastic used are originally from petroleum, in which is limited resources and non-degradable polymer that causes environmental problem. The jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) has been commercially produced in the farming industry. Approximately 8 to 15 % of jackfruit are mostly thrown after consumption. Thus it can be used as the value added product development for future demand. In this study, the jackfruit seeds flour was plasticized by using glycerol, and blended with different ratios of polypropylene. The mechanical properties such as tensile strength, strain at break, flexibility and water absorption of fabricated bioplastic were investigated. The tensile strength and strain at break decreased with increasing of jackfruit seed flour content, while Young's Modulus increased with the jackfruit seed flour content increased. Addition of polypropylene demonstrated higher water resistant ability. The jackfruit seed can be a new resource of bioplastic that could be preserved as a petrochemical resource and reduces the environmental impact.Keyword: bioplastic, jackfruit seed, mechanical properties, polypropylene, water absorption Abstrak Dalam kajian ini, bioplastik berjaya dihasilkan dari campuran tepung biji nangka/polipropilena. Kini, plastik yang digunakan berasal daripada petroleum, di mana sumber yang terhad dan polimer yang tidak boleh degradasi yang menyebabkan masalah kepada alam sekitar. Buah nangka (Artocarpus heterophyllus) telah dihasilkan secara komersil dalam industri pertanian. Kirakira 8 hingga 15% daripada nangka dibuang selepas penggunaan. Oleh itu, ia boleh digunakan sebagai nilai tambah produk untuk permintaan masa depan. Dalam kajian ini, tepung biji nangka telah diplastikkan dengan menggunakan gliserol, dan dicampur dengan polipropilena dengan nisbah yang berlainan. Sifat-sifat mekanik seperti kekuatan tegangan, ketegangan pada rehat, fleksibiliti dan penyerapan air bioplastik dikaji. Kekuatan tegangan dan ketegangan pada rehat menurun dengan peningkatan kandungan tepung biji nangka, sementara Modulus Young meningkat dengan kandungan tepung biji nangka meningkat. Penambahan polipropilena menunjukkan keupayaan tahan air yang lebih tinggi. Biji nangka dapat menjadi sumber bioplastik baru yang dapat dipelihara sebagai sumber petrokimia dan mengurangkan kesan kepada persekitaran.

A comprehensive review on the properties and functionalities of biodegradable and semibiodegradable food packaging materials

“…However, these properties vary based on the sources of the starch and factors such as the ratio and the molecular characteristics of amylose and amylopectin (Wuttisela et al, 2008), and other chemical properties. According to Lothfy et al (2018), higher the amylopectin content, better the film forming behavior, and barrier and tensile properties. Therefore, in order to achieve better properties of developed starch-based food packaging, aforementioned factors need to be properly investigated.…”