Development of a Bioplastic from Banana Peel

Abstract

The problems caused by synthetic plastics have motivated the use of other materials. This research consisted of utilizing banana peel and cellulose from the pseudostem of this plant to obtain a bioplastic. The flour was extracted by dry milling and cellulose via an acid-alkaline treatment. For the elaboration of the thermoplastic material, a mixture design was employed where fixed amounts of shell flour (5 g), 15% NaOH (5 mL), water (4 mL), and varying concentrations of plasticizers were used, which were glycerol and sorbitol. In two of the formulations, 0,5 g of cellulose were added as filler material. The obtained bioplastic was characterized according to its thickness, water vapor permeability (WVP), tension force (TF), break time (bt), and biodegradability. The type of plasticizer and the cellulose content did not affect the thickness of the bioplastic, but it did affect the WVP, TF, and bt. WVP decreases when glycerin is used and increases with the addition of cellulose. The best result for WVP was 1,83 x 10-9 g/Pa.s.m in the formulation where only glycerol was used, whereas the best values for TF, bt, and biodegradability were 2,4 MPa, 17 seconds, and 37,77%, respectively, with 75% sorbitol and 25% glycerol. Expanding the study of the best formulations would allow their use as a replacement for synthetic plastics.