Obtaining bioplastic films from castor oil plant

Abstract

The excessive use of petroleum-based plastics creates a serious problem of environmental pollution, for this reason, this work proposes the production of bioplastic films based on cellulose extracted from leaves and stems of Ricinus communis L. (castor oil plant). The project was carried out in 2022 in the state of Michoacán, Mexico. The bioplastic was obtained in two stages, first the extraction of cellulose is carried out by an alkaline treatment at 80 °C, then, the cellulose obtained is mixed with water, glycerin, and acetic acid for the formation of the bioplastic film by the casting method. With the above procedure, uniform films with a thickness of 0.12 mm were obtained. Regarding the tensile strength, a maximum value of 7.1 MPa was found, as the amount of glycerin increases, the tensile strength increases. Through scanning electron microscopy analysis, it was observed that bioplastic films with 5% glycerin exhibit more uniform and homogeneous textures. The castor oil plant can be used not only to obtain oil but also to obtain plastics from sources alternative to petroleum, which would favor its cultivation in Michoacán.