Speaker
Description
Malaysia was recognized as the second-largest consumer of plastic in Asia, with an average consumption of 16.78 kg per person. This high demand for commercial plastics has spurred interest in biodegradable alternatives, such as those derived from natural resources like banana peels. This research focuses on the development of thermoplastic corn starch (TPCS) reinforced with banana peel (BP) to create TPCS/BP biodegradable thin films. The main objective is to evaluate the physical, mechanical, and biodegradable properties of these films at various TPCS/BP concentrations. The fabrication process involves drying banana peels in a universal oven at 70 ˚C, grinding them into powder with a particle size of 0.23 ± 0.02 mm, and extracting them using the maceration method. The extracted BP, at concentrations ranging from 5 to 40 wt.%, was mixed with 5 wt.% corn starch, 2 wt.% glycerol, and 15 wt.% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), then cured at room temperature (24 ˚C) for 72 hours to produce the films. Results showed that BP powder had a moisture content of 91.31%. Among the different formulations, the 10 wt.% TPCS/BP film exhibited the highest tensile strength (75.53 MPa) and tear resistance (50.77 N/mm). The biodegradable test indicated a degradation rate of 5.99%, while density and porosity were 0.48% and 1.81 g/cm³, respectively. However, SEM analysis proved as the concentration TPCS/BP increased, the surface become more homogenous with 40 wt.% have more homogenous distribution and have higher irregularly surface than 5 wt.% with lower slight of uniformity surface. Thus, 10 wt.% TPCS/BP is identified as the optimal concentration for biodegradable thin film applications with good mechanical properties.
