BIODEGRADABLE PACKAGING WITH CORN STARCH RESIN IMPREGNATED WITH PINEAPPLE LEAF FIBRE

Cheryl, Rinai Raja (2020) BIODEGRADABLE PACKAGING WITH CORN STARCH RESIN IMPREGNATED WITH PINEAPPLE LEAF FIBRE. [Final Year Project Report] (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Pineapple leaves are among the highest agricultural waste in Malaysia. However, pineapple leaves in Malaysia has since became a desirable product as it is able to be converted into a value-added product. This study aims to fabricate biodegradable packaging made of sustainable composites made of corn starch resin inseminated with pineapple leaf fibre (PALF). The objectives of this work is to provide an alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastic that does not easily degrade and causes damage to the environment with an environmentally sustainable product that decomposes much more quickly. Investigation on the effects of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) treatment at the concentration of 2%, 5% and 10% onto the pineapple leaf fibres (PALF) were conducted to determine the optimum treatment concentration in fabricating the composite. The hypothetical mechanical properties of the corn starch (CS) and pineapple leaf fibre (PALF) composite was evaluated with a manual strength test. The fibre content in this experiment were set to be 10wt%, 20wt% and 30wt% of untreated PALF. Results show an increasing trend in strength for 10wt% to 30wt% from the manual strength test as well as an increased water absorption rate following the increasing fibre content. This research also includes the study of the effect of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) treatment on the PALF surface morphology. The Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) results show successful surface modification with 5% NaOH to be the optimum concentration for the chemical treatment. Furthermore, the compositions of the fibre before and after the alkali treatment was also conducted using the Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis to investigate the presence and removal of lignin and other surface impurities from the untreated fibres. Results from the FTIR analysis presented missing peaks which indicate the presence of lignin for treated pineapple leaf fibres when compared to the result of the untreated pineapple leaf fibre. Therefore also confirming the successful removal of impurities from the untreated fibres after alkaline treatment with sodium hydroxide.

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