Optimasi Pembuatan Plastik Biodegradable dari Pati Kulit Singkong dengan Penambahan Asam Sitrat Sebagai Crosslinking Agent

Abstract

Cassava’s bark is a agroindustry wasted which rare being used. The starch content in it can be used as a raw material production of biodegradable plastic. Biodegradable plastic is thin layer which functioned as coating and food packaging. This research aims to learn operational condition of biodegradable plastic making with cassava’s bark starch with addition of carrageenan and citric acid as crosslinking agent. Research methods consist of three processes, 1) starch making from cassava’s bark, 2) biodegradable plastic making with various addition of carrageenan and 3) biodegradable plastic making with various addition of citric acid 1%. Result analytic conducted as starch content, water content, tensile strength, swelling, sample packaging in a tomato, and biodegradation. The results shown that cassava’s bark contained 5.97% starch and 11.13% water. The results with addition of carrageenan attained biodegradable plastic which tensile strength values 2.0655 MPa, elongations 30.81%, and swelling 76.32%. The results with addition of citric acid 1% attained biodegradable plastic which tensile strength values 2.1208 MPa, elongations 32.22% and swelling in 75%. Packaging test in a tomato could endure it for eight days from damage by microbes. Biodegradation test shown that the biodegradable plastic could decompose after 67 days.