Preparation and Characterization of Mechanical Properties Improved Bioplastics from Rice Bran with Varying Glycerol Volume

Abstract

Bioplastics are plastics that we can get from biomass materials, such as corn, starch, corn husks, pea starch, and rice bran. This study aims to utilize cellulose from rice bran which has only been considered as agricultural waste, as an alternative material for forming bioplastics that can be widely applied. Rice bran added with 4% sodium hydroxide solution is called the delignification process, with heating for 3 hours at 90°C. Then the solid is dried. Subsequently, hemicellulose was removed by adding 0.2 M HCl, and heating for 3 hours at 90°C. Then the solid was dried, and the blanching process was carried out with H₂O₂. The process of making bioplastics was carried out by the phase inversion method with the fixed variables being 5 grams of cellulose powder, 5 grams of chitosan, 100 ml of 1% acetic acid, and the independent variables were the concentration of glycerol 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ml. The results of the best swelling value was glycerol 3 ml with 40% with positive influence (R² = 0.9909). while the best tensile test was obtained from a 3 ml glycerol variable with a value of 9.55 MPa, for the best elongation was obtained from a 7 ml glycerol variable with an elongation value of 5.24%. While the biodegradation test with variations has a maximum biodegradation time of 17 days. As well as the FTIR Spectrophotometer test to test the wavelength and bonds between compounds in bioplastics such as CH, OH, glycerol, and acetic acid.