Synthesis and characterization of bioplastic films from potato peel starch; effect of glycerol as plasticizer

Potatoes, Corn, soy, yam, sugarcane, wheat, and vegetable oil are all examples of renewable resources used to make biobased polymers. As prices of crude oil rising and petroleum resources become scarce, researchers are working hard to find a suitable and verifiable substitute for petroleum-based polymers. For this study, bioplastic films were synthesized using starch from white potato peels and glycerol as the plasticizer. The consequence of plasticizer content on the tensile strength, percentage elongation, and water absorption properties was highlighted. Synthesized bioplastic was characterized by the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, which confirms the molecular structure of starch and the production of bioplastic. Tensile strength reveals an improvement in strength. The tensile strength increases from 0.3 ± 0.05 Mpa to 0.56 ± 0.05 Mpa as the plasticizer volume content increases from 1.5 ml to 2.5 ml. Percentage elongations increase gradually from 2.2 ± 0.05 % to 2.8 ± 0.05 % as plasticizer content increases to 3.5 ml volume content. The water absorption value of the synthesized bioplastic increased with time, due to the hygroscopic properties of prepared starch and glycerol. The synthesized bioplastic from potatoes peels makes a suitable renewable, low-cost, and easily modifiable material and a viable replacement for present conventional plastics.