Biotechnology applied to the buriti fruit (Mauritia flexuosa Mart.)

Abstract

Plastic has environmentally unfavorable factors. First, it is about its origin, coming from petroleum, a non-renewable source, hydrophobic materials that do not allow the action of microorganisms in its molecular chain, taking hundreds of years to decompose. In this sense, there is the buriti palm whose fruit is rich in natural polymer, which can be produced a biodegradable plastic, due to its organic characteristic, which decomposes easily and quickly causing without damage to the environment. With that, the. The objective of this research was to develop a flexible, biodegradable bioplastic based on natural polymers from renewable sources from the epicarp, mesocarp, buriti fruit endocarp and cassava starch by cooking process. Initially, a dimensional characterization of the buriti fruit was carried out with 120 individuals. Elaboration of different bioplastics with buriti fruit matrix in 90, 95 and 98% associated with cassava starch in 2, 5 and 10%, plasticized with glycerol. The characterizations of bioplastics were carried out through the evaluation of subjectivity, thickness, mechanical properties, opacity, color, water solubility, temperature resistance test, chemical resistance and biodegradation in water and soil. All bioplastics formed were visually transparent in 80% and opaque in 20%. With the increase in the addition of cassava starch, it caused an increase in thickness, permeability to water vapor and tensile strength, generating a decrease in their opacity. In evaluating the subjectivity of the samples, homogeneity was around 88.53%, flexibility 80% and deformation 8.6%. In the strength tests, the epicarp bioplastic showed low elongation (91.20 Mpa), while the endocarp showed greater elongation (4.41%) and low strength (42.50 Mpa). As for the evaluation of opacity, the endocarp exhibited a larger radius of 1.72cm, while the smallest length was manifested in the bioplastic epicarp 0.63cm. The bioplastics were subjected to temperatures of 60, 80, 100, 110 and 120°C, and in the first temperatures they remained at normal levels, from 100°C onwards, curvatures, dryness and cracks appeared. Based on these results, the concentrations of the mixture components were changed to allow the obtainment of decorative bioplastics, with adequate properties by the cooking process. Thus, it can be said that the production of composite bioplastics based on the epicarp, mesocarp and endocarp of the buriti fruit and added with cassava starch, plasticized with glycerol, by the cooking process is environmentally and economically viable.