Effect of natural wax on the mechanical and water resistance properties of thermoplastic cassava starch

Zamree, Ahmad Zulfadhli (2018) Effect of natural wax on the mechanical and water resistance properties of thermoplastic cassava starch. Project Report. Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Melaka, Malaysia. (Submitted)

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Abstract

Biodegradation is the process of decomposing a substance through biological processes through decomposition agents such as fungi and chemical processes that occur naturally. Plastics are non-biodegradable materials and this causes them to last a long time. Plastic bags thrown into the sea will cause pollution as well as will cause choking creatures due to eating plastic materials. Biopolymer is a polymer that is naturally found in nature. Starch, protein, and peptides, also DNA and RNA are examples of biopolymers, where monomers are glucose, amino acids and nucleic acids respectively. Cassava starch (CS), which is hundred percent biodegradable, is used in some plastic and film as it is cheap and biodegradable quickly. But the existing starch does not have the strength, flexibility, and processing facilities needed for other uses. Hence, the objective of this study is to enhance the mechanical and physical strength of the substance when mixed into composites. The mechanical properties of thermoplastic CS and beeswax were tested using tensile test. The tensile properties of the material were improved following the incorporation of beeswax. The findings showed that the strength started to increase after 5% of beeswax content were added into TPCS compared to TPCS matrix without beeswax content, while the Young modulus are increased from 5% to 15% of beeswax in thermoplastic CS and decrease a bit at 20% of beeswax content. This shows the contrary result on the elongation trend. The physical properties of the composites were carried out using several tests such as water absorption test, thickness swelling test, SEM, moisture content analysis, moisture absorption, soil burial, water solubility and TGA. The thermal properties of the materials were slightly improved as the beeswax content increased from 0% to 20%. In terms of physical properties, the addition of beeswax has decrease the moisture content, water absorption and thickness swelling but increase the water solubility due to the hydrophobic and hydrophilic character of both cassava starch and beeswax. After soil burial for 2 and 4 weeks, the composite were decomposed slowly due to the addition of beeswax content. As a whole, the findings from this study have shown that the thermoplastic CS mixed with beeswax has improved the character's function compared to the original material. As complete, thermoplastic CS polymer blend beeswax composites have great potential for biodegradable products such as dispose of wasted materials.

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