Experimental study on durability and biodegradability os sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) peels-based and lakatan banana (Musa acuminata) peels-based bioplastics /
by Athina Anna D. Del Rosario, Raefiel Rex Louis P. Ong, Meg Daniel C. Alaurin, & Harry Isaac B. Didulo.
- [Iloilo City] : [Ateneo de Iloilo], c2023
- 67 p.
Conventional plastics pose an increasing problem to the environment. The attempt to solve these contemporary problems exists through experiments and trials on producing bioplastics from organic wastes, to lessen the detrimental effects of conventional plastics and direct disposal of organic waste. However, the transition to eco-friendly practices has not progressed due to the cost of production and lack of information towards the use of bioplastics. This study titled "Experimental Study on Durability and Biodegradability of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) Peels- Based and Lakatan Banana (Musa acuminata) Peels-Based Bioplastics" enters into the synthesis of bioplastics from Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) and Lakatan Banana (Musa acuminata) peels, using glycerol as the main plasticizer and compare which of the two bioplastic films has greater potential as a commercialized bioplastic in terms of biodegradability and durability. To determine this, the researchers conducted a soil burial test and a tear strength test. The researchers then interpreted the results using Mann-Whitney nonparametric test. Biodegradability was compared using the soil burial experiment wherein a starting weight of 2 grams of each bioplastic was buried 5cm into the soil's surface. Their weights were compared after 7 and 14 days after the first burial. Tear strength testing was done through the utilization of a tear testing machine. The results of soil burial testing indicated that sweet potato peel-based plastics biodegrade faster. Results for tear strength testing suggested that Lakatan Banana (Musa acuminata) peels based plastics have higher tearing strength. Overall, a significant difference between the biodegradability and tear strength of both samples was concluded.