Mechanical Physicial Properties of Chlorella-PVA based Bioplastic with Ultrasonic Homogenizer

Abstract

Public demand for environmentally friendly packaging material especially in food industry is increasing. One of the many solutions invented for this problem is the development of biodegradable plastic. Biopolymer can be mixed with synthetic polymer to produce biodegradable films with properties suitable for varying applications. This study examines the mechanical physical properties of Chlorellapolyvinyl alcohol (PVA) based bioplastic by pre-treating the Chlorella powder with ultrasonic homogenizer. Variation of Chlorella concentration and temperature was done during the ultrasonication. Before being used as bioplastic base, pre-treated Chlorella with different concentrations were equated. Bioplastic films were then prepared with the pre-treated Chlorella powder and PVA using solvent casting method. Mechanical physical properties of the pre-treated Chlorella films then compared with non pretreated Chlorella film as control. Mechanical test shows the increasing of bioplastic tensile strength up to 15,3 kgf/cm2 and elongation percentage up to 99,63%. Field emission scanning electron microscopy test shows the increasing of bioplastic homogenity and smoother surface with less pores. Fourier transform infrared analysis shows that there are crosslinkages between Chlorella and PVA. Thermal analysis by thermogravimetric analysis shows ultrasonication creates a more compact linkages. The performance of the film could suggest its potential as an eco-sustainable food packaging plastic material.

Preliminary Study of Potential Bioimplant from Glycerol Plasticized Starch-Microcrystalline Cellulose Composite

“…Researchers have studied various biomasses to open up alternatives in plastic pollution reduction, including those from oil palm empty fruit bunches [1], sugarbeet [2], microalgae [3] [4], silk [5] and starch [6]. One of the emerging applications of bioplastics is for a biomedical implant.…”

Bioplastic Production from Microalgae: A Review

“…found that hydrogen ions present among Chlorella cells allow blends to be produced without gaps [25]. The implementation of ultra-sonic homogenization pre-treatment before blending can improve the homogeneity and surface features of the produced Chlorella-PVA blends, which is an alternative for food packaging [26]. The difference The main components of microalgae are lipids (7-23%), carbohydrates (5-23%), and proteins (6-52%) [20].…”

“…found that hydrogen ions present among Chlorella cells allow blends to be produced without gaps [25]. The implementation of ultra-sonic homogenization pre-treatment before blending can improve the homogeneity and surface features of the produced Chlorella-PVA blends, which is an alternative for food packaging [26]. The difference between Chlorella-PE composites with and without modification of PE (with maleic anhydride) was examined by Otsuki et al Modification of PE positively affected the tensile strength of the composites [27].…”

“…Higher temperatures were found to lead to weaker bonds between blended materials. For blends, the implementation of ultra-sonication improved the quality of the produced blended material due to its effect on the homogeneity of the mixture [26].…”

“…The parameters also vary from publication to publication. Sabathini et al (2018) produced microalgae-PVA films by dispersing the components in water, casting the mixture onto glass plates and air drying 24 h [26]. An extra homogenization step is conducted by on the biomass aqueous mixture before the addition of the polymer suspension to ensure proper dispersion of the biomass particles [85].…”