PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF POLYVINYL ALCOHOL/CASSAVA STARCH COMPOSITE BIOPLASTICS WITH NANOCELLULOSE ADDITION FROM CASSAVA PEEL

Rumpoko Wicaksono; Condro Wibowo; Mustaufik Mustaufik; Sekar Pelangi; Clara Saniya Margaretha Manurung

Rumpoko Wicaksono Food Technology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto, Indonesia
Condro Wibowo Food Technology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto, Indonesia
Mustaufik Mustaufik Food Technology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto, Indonesia
Sekar Pelangi Master's Program in Food Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto, Indonesia
Clara Saniya Margaretha Manurung Food Technology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto, Indonesia

Abstract

This research was conducted to investigate the characteristics of bioplastics produced from a combination of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and cassava starch with the addition of nanocellulose filler derived from cassava peel. The basic bioplastic formula used was 5.4% PVA and 0.6% cassava starch. The treatment applied was the amount of nanocellulose added, namely 0%, 2%, 4%, and 6%. The composite bioplastics were made by casting method, followed by testing of physical properties including thickness, water vapour transmission rate (WVTR), and transparency. Bioplastic thickness was measured using a digital micrometer, while WVTR was measured using the gravimetric method. The transparency of the bioplastics was evaluated through measuring their transmittance using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The results showed that the addition of nanocellulose had no effect on the physical properties of bioplastics. Increasing nanocellulose concentration tends to increase the thickness and decrease the water vapour transmission rate of bioplastics. However, the addition of nanocellulose reduced the transparency of the bioplastics, especially at higher concentrations.