Pengaruh Variasi Kitosan terhadap Karakteristik Mekanik Bioplastik Pati dari Limbah Batang Kelapa Sawit

Abstract

Bioplastics from palm oil trunk waste starch are an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional plastics. However, starch-based bioplastics have poor mechanical characteristics and thus need to be modified. This study aims to improve the mechanical characteristics of starch-based bioplastics by adding chitosan as a filler. The bioplastic composition is 5 grams of starch, 0.5 ml of glycerol, and varying concentrations of chitosan (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 g) FTIR tests show the presence of hydroxyl (O-H), alkane (C-H), and C-O-C groups in the starch. Adding chitosan to the starch-based bioplastics shifts the O-H and C-H functional groups and introduces carbonyl (C=O) and amine (NH) groups. SEM tests of starch-based bioplastics with added chitosan show a smoother surface with fewer cracks compared to pure starch bioplastics, indicating that chitosan can enhance the mechanical properties of bioplastics. The best mechanical characteristics were found in the C2 variation (chitosan 0.5 g) with a tensile strength of 3.98 MPa, elongation at break of 22.07%, and elasticity of 0.18 MPa. The best water absorption was in the C3 variation (chitosan 0.75 g) with a value of 44.44%.