Synthesis of polymer from bio waste (potato peel) and its biodegradability testing

Abstract

This thesis is about making bioplastic films from potato starch and testing their biodegradability. Three types of films were made. Firstly, starch extracted from potato peel in the laboratory was used to make one set of biofilms. For comparison, bioplastic films were also made from commercial potato starch and a mixture of commercial potato starch with laboratory-derived potato peel starch. All bioplastic film samples were made by mixing and heating starch with distilled water, 98% glycerin and vinegar at 100˚C. Later, the films were dried at room temperature. Afterwards, the films were buried for 30 days in either a soil environment or in a domestic composter to test their biodegradability. The films that were made from lab-made starch degraded more compared to the films made from commercial starch and mixed starch. Based on the weight loss report, every sample showed promising results. Two samples that were buried in the soil were degraded completely as only labels were found. In addition, the absorbance peak of the functional groups of the samples each before and after biodegradability tests were located by FTIR analysis.