1

Chemistry Extended Essay

Preserving ascorbic acid in fruit juices using biodegradable films

compared to plastic cling film

Word Count: 3950

Code number: gvf250

Table of Contents
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 3
2. Research Question................................................................................................................................. 4
3. Background Information ..................................................................................................................... 4
3.1 Plastic Film ........................................................................................................................................... 4
3.2 Carbohydrate-Based Film ................................................................................................................. 5
3.3 Ascorbic Acid ........................................................................................................................................ 8
4. Aim ............................................................................................................................................................ 9
5. Hypothesis and Variables .................................................................................................................. 10
5.1 Hypothesis ........................................................................................................................................... 10
5.2 Dependent and Independent Variables ........................................................................................ 10
5.3 Controlled Variables ......................................................................................................................... 11
6. Methodology.......................................................................................................................................... 12
6.1 Design ................................................................................................................................................... 14
6.2 Safety Precautions............................................................................................................................. 15
6.3 Procedure ............................................................................................................................................ 16
7. Results .................................................................................................................................................... 17
8. Statistical t-test ..................................................................................................................................... 28
9. Conclusion and Discussion ............................................................................................................... 29
10. Evaluation and Limitation ............................................................................................................ 31
11. Bibliography ..................................................................................................................................... 34
12. Appendix............................................................................................................................................ 37
12.1 Figures ............................................................................................................................................... 37
12.2 Materials and Apparatus ............................................................................................................... 38
12.3 Experimental Procedure ............................................................................................................... 39
12.3 Raw Data ........................................................................................................................................... 41
12.4 Carbohydrate-Based Films....................................................................................................... 45

1. Introduction

Plastic is amongst the most ubiquitous materials in modern society. As a widely used

plastic product, plastic film plays an important role in the preservation of food products such as

fruits. These thin films slow down the metabolism of fresh fruit tissues by excluding atmospheric

oxygen, thereby thwarting the degradation of nutrients. Despite their tremendous utilities, these

disposable plastic materials often pose an environmental hazard, owing to their general lack of

biodegradability.1 According to the National Consumer Survey, 2 5.25 million Americans used 10

or more rolls of plastic cling films per person/per capita in 2018. Environmental impacts aside,

plastic cling film may also have deleterious effects on human health. For example, certain

plasticizers in cling film, like the phthalates, could cause severe health issues.3

For this reason, environmentally friendly and renewable films based on biodegradable

materials such as starch have been studied extensively in recent decades as potential

replacements of plastics.4 It is believed that such films share the physical and chemical properties

of petroleum derived plastics, 5 allowing preservation of food with minimal ecological footprints.

Starch-derived films are also highly versatile due to the variety of types of starches commercially

available. Toward this end, the relative ratio of amylose to amylopectin is known to have a

tangible impact on the physical properties and functionalities of starch products. Herein, the rate

1
“Properties of Plastic | Machining Plastic | EMachineShop.Com,” EMachineShop (blog), accessed December
18, 2018, https://www.emachineshop.com/properties-of-plastic/.
2
“U.S.: Amount of Plastic Wrap Used 2018 | Statistic,” Statista, accessed December 18, 2018,
https://www.statista.com/statistics/275956/us-households-quantity-of-rolls-of-plastic-wrap-used-within-
6-months/.
3
Ram Proshad et al., “Toxic Effects of Plastic on Human Health and Environment: Consequences of Health
Risk Assessment in Bangladesh,” International Journal of Health 6, no. 1 (December 18, 2017): 1,
https://doi.org/10.14419/ijh.v6i1.8655.
4 Jaqueline Oliveira de Moraes et al., “Scale-up of the Production of Cassava Starch Based Films Using Tape-

Casting,” Journal of Food Engineering 119, no. 4 (December 1, 2013): 800–808,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2013.07.009.
5 V Swathi, G Gladvin, and B Babitha, “Physico-Chemical Charectristics and Applications of Edible Films for

Fruit Preservation” 04, no. 02 (n.d.): 5.

of oxidation of ascorbic acid in three types of fruit juices stored with freshly-prepared

carbohydrate-based films of varying amylose-amylopectin ratio is determined volumetrically

through iodine titration. The ability of these alternative materials at inhibiting ascorbic acid

oxidation are compared with plastic cling films commonly used in everyday life.

2. Research Question

Measuring the degree of oxidation of ascorbic acid in different juices (orange, kiwi,

tomato) as a function of time when placed in flasks and covered by de novo prepared

carbohydrate-based polymeric package film compared to plastic cling film using a

Volumetric titration.

3. Background Information

3.1 Plastic Film

Oil-based plastics can be divided into two categories based on their plasticity:

thermoplastic plastics and thermosetting plastics. Most of the thermoplastics largely comprise

linear polymers, while the latter exhibit higher degrees of cross-linking and may be described as

three-dimensional network polymers.6

Cling films which are used in food preservation are derived from thermoplastic plastics,

more specifically from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), and the like.7

They thwart food degradation due to their compact linear polymer structure that precludes

penetration by atmospheric oxygen. Notwithstanding certain benefits like low cost, the extensive

6
“How Plastics Work,” HowStuffWorks, December 14, 2007, https://science.howstuffworks.com/plastic.htm.
7
Pratt Headley, “Understanding Plastic Film,” American Plastics Council, December 1996, 30.

use of those non-biodegradable polymers has raised many health and environmental concerns.8

For instance, phthalates are frequently added to modulate the mechanical properties (e.g., to

render them soft and flexible) of hard and rigid materials, such as PVC, the most common

material in cling films. Such additives are known as endocrine disruptors – they could elicit

hormonal reactions in vivo and potentially cause health problems such as obesity, diabetes and

cancers.9 Motivated by all the above, this extended essay will explore a possibly healthier

alternative to cling films, the use of carbohydrate-based polymeric films in preserving fruit juices.

3.2 Carbohydrate-Based Film

Amylose and amylopectin are the main components of carbohydrate-based film. Their

molecular structure and molecular aggregation differ, resulting in distinct physical/chemical

properties.10 Thus, it is believed that the amylose to amylopectin ratio can have an impact on the

functional utility of starch-derived products.

Amylose may be described as a linear polysaccharide with glucose units linked by a

(1→4) glycoside bonds. 11 These amylose chains are arranged helically in antiparallel pairs of

parallel monomers (Fig. 1).12 This rigid structure renders amylose impervious to oxygen and

nitrogen, making it a good candidate for food packaging.13 The linear topology, coupled with an

8
“Why Are Plastics Considered Non-Biodegradable? | Socratic,” Socratic.org, accessed December 18, 2018,
https://socratic.org/questions/why-are-plastics-considered-non-biodegradable.
9
Proshad et al., “Toxic Effects of Plastic on Human Health and Environment.”
10
H. Fredriksson et al., “The Influence of Amylose and Amylopectin Characteristics on Gelatinization and
Retrogradation Properties of Different Starches,” Carbohydrate Polymers 35, no. 3 (March 1, 1998): 119–34,
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0144-8617(97)00247-6.
11
Craig R Barrett et al., “National Academy of Engineering,” n.d., 68.
12
W. Helbert and H. Chanzy, “Single Crystals of V Amylose Complexed with N-Butanol or n-Pentanol:
Structural Features and Properties,” International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 16, no. 4 (January 1,
1994): 207–13, https://doi.org/10.1016/0141-8130(94)90052-3.
13
Ana R. V. Ferreira, Vítor D. Alves, and Isabel M. Coelhoso, “Polysaccharide-Based Membranes in Food
Packaging Applications,” Membranes 6, no. 2 (April 13, 2016), https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes6020022.

abundance of free hydroxyl groups, allows for an extensive hydrogen-bonded network within the

macroscopic structure of amylose. As such, amylose is generally hydrophilic – it exhibits a

strong tendency to produce tough gels and strong films.14 On the other hand, amylopectin with a

higher molecular weight compared to amylose has a hyperbranched structure (Fig. 2).

Specifically, about one in every 20 glucose units is linked via the a (1→6) glycoside (in lieu of a

(1→4) glycoside bonds), thereby creating a branching point. Because of that, amylopectin makes

“weaker” films with a less extensive hydrogen bonding network.15

Fig. 1. Amylose double-stranded helix Fig. 2. Amylopectin hyperbranched structure

molecular structure

Table 1 shows the relevant percentage of amylose and amylopectin in different types of

starch used in the present investigation.

14
Brian A. Larkins and Indra K. Vasil, Cellular and Molecular Biology of Plant Seed Development (Springer
Science & Business Media, 2013).
15 Ioannis S. Chronakis, “On the Molecular Characteristics, Compositional Properties, and Structural-

Functional Mechanisms of Maltodextrins: A Review,” Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 38, no. 7
(October 1998): 599–637, https://doi.org/10.1080/10408699891274327.

Table 1. Ratio of amylose and amylopectin in three different starches16

Types of starch Amylose (%) Amylopectin (%)

Tapioca starch 14% 86%

Potato starch 21% 79%

Corn starch 29% 71%

Starch can be described as partially crystalline granules with two crystalline types,

namely A- and B-. The A-type crystal is commonly found in cereal starch, with double-helices

closely packed into a monoclinic unit cell, which contains 8 water molecules per unit cell (Fig.

3). Conversely, the double-helices in B-type are packed in a hexagonal unit cell which contains

36 water molecules per unit (Fig. 3).17 These crystal types are interconvertible under different

temperatures, different relative humidities, or as a result of drying procedures.18

Fig. 3. Packing of double helices in the A- and B-type crystals.19

(⊗ represents water molecules.)

16 “Food-Info.Net: Carbohydrates > Starch,” accessed December 23, 2018, http://www.food-

info.net/uk/carbs/starch.htm.
17 Eric Bertoft, “Understanding Starch Structure: Recent Progress,” Agronomy 7, no. 3 (August 25, 2017): 56,

https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy7030056.
18 Päivi Myllärinen et al., “The Crystallinity of Amylose and Amylopectin Films,” Carbohydrate Polymers 48, no.

1 (April 2002): 41–48, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0144-8617(01)00208-9.

19 Alain Buléon, Gabrielle Véronèse, and Jean-Luc Putaux, “Self-Association and Crystallization of Amylose,”

Australian Journal of Chemistry 60, no. 10 (2007): 706, https://doi.org/10.1071/CH07168.

Acid hydrolysis is a chemical process that can alter the structural and functional

properties of starch without interfering with the granular morphology.20 During this modification,

the amorphous regions in the granules are removed, which enhances the crystallinity in the starch.

This process requires the presence of an acid at elevated temperatures to break down the

intermolecular bonds between the starch granules. Known as gelatinization, this process can lead

to gel with long polymer chains being casted and stabilized by a plasticizer such as glycerin,

which reduces intermolecular forces and improves the flexibility of the film.21

3.3 Ascorbic Acid

Ascorbic acid (C6H8O6), also named vitamin C, is an unsaturated polyhydroxy lactone

which is acidic and has a wide range of physiological functions in human body. Fruit like orange

and kiwi have been recognized as good sources of dietary ascorbic acid.22 Therefore they will be

selected for the present investigation.

Ascorbic acid can be oxidized by oxygen on exposure to air. This oxidation takes place

on the enol carbon atoms, converting them to a bis-ketone (vide infra). This reversible oxidation

reaction leads to the formation of dehydroascorbic acid which still has the physiological activity

of ascorbic acid, but it can easily hydrolyze into 2,3-diketogulonic acid,23 which is devoid of the

physiological activity of ascorbic acid (Fig. 4).24

20 Shujun Wang and Les Copeland, “Effect of Acid Hydrolysis on Starch Structure and Functionality: A Review,”

Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 55, no. 8 (July 3, 2015): 1081–97,
https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2012.684551.
21 C. Hernandez-Jaimes, et al. “Acid Hydrolysis of Composite Based on Corn Starch and Trim Ethylene Glycol

as Plasticizer.” Revista Mexicana de Ingenieria Quimica 16 (2017) 169-178.

22 “Vitamin C: Best Food Sources, Why You Need It, and More - HealthXchange,” accessed December 19, 2018,

https://www.healthxchange.sg/food-nutrition/food-tips/vitamin-c-best-food-sources-need.
23 Pubchem, “Dehydroascorbic Acid,” accessed December 19, 2018,

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/440667.
24 Andreas Fredrik Thoresen, “Effect of Gas Barrier Imperfections on Vitamin C Deterioration in Chilled

Orange Juice Stored in EVOH Gable Top Cartons,” 47, 2016,

https://brage.bibsys.no/xmlui/handle/11250/2443471.

Ascorbic acid Dehydroascorbic acid 2,3-diketogulonic acid

Fig. 4. Oxidation route of ascorbic acid

Thus, plastic film is used to slow down the reaction of oxygen with ascorbic acid in fruits

and vegetables, keeping them fresh for a longer time. Nevertheless, as noted earlier, plastics are

associated with a multitude of health and environmental problems, making it desirable to identify

their alternatives. Starch-based films could possibly serve as environmentally friendly

replacements at plastics, particularly in the preservation of fruits and vegetables. Therefore, their

ability to halt aerobic oxidation of ascorbic acid in various foods requires investigation.

4. Aim

The overall aim of the present investigation is to evaluate the effectiveness of starch-derived

materials in food packaging. Specifically, biodegradable films made from three different types of

starch - cornstarch, potato starch and tapioca starch- are studied. These films are examined for

their abilities to affect the rate of oxidation of ascorbic acid in fruit juices (orange, tomato, kiwi

juices) as a function of time.

Two specific objectives are set forth. First, the feasibility of making carbohydrate-based

films which are free from industrial additives is tested: instead of using commercial films, this

study seeks to prepare the films de novo. Second, the effectiveness of the freshly prepared films

in food packaging is evaluated against non-biodegradable plastic film by using them to preserve

fruit juices for three consecutive days.


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5. Hypothesis and Variables

5.1 Hypothesis

It is hypothesized that carbohydrate-based films will be as effective in excluding oxygen

as plastic cling film. Furthermore, films made from amylose-rich materials would be more

effective due to their more favorable amylose-to-amylopectin ratio. As such, cornstarch-based

film used in this study should show the best performance, followed by potato-based and then

Tapioca-based which is known to have the lowest amylose content comparatively.

5.2 Dependent and Independent Variables

Variable Description

Independent Variables

Three different types of film are made from cornstarch, potato starch, tapioca
Film
starch, each of which has different amylose-amylopectin ratios. This can lead to
Composition
different physical properties.

Types of fruits Each film is used to preserve juices of three types of fruits (tomato, kiwi,
orange). The ascorbic acid content is measured for each experiment.

Ascorbic acid content in fruit juices changes with the time. 3 consecutive days is
Time established as the duration of the study with data collected at an interval of one
day.

Dependent Variable

Concentration of Ascorbic acid in fruit juices undergoes aerobic oxidation. Thus, it is believed that
ascorbic acid the oxidation rate can be correlated with exposure to atmospheric oxygen.


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5.3 Controlled Variables

Variables Significance Approach to Controlled

control value

Amount of fruit The amount of fruit juices used in titration Used 50.0 mL of 50.0 mL
juice being experiments directly affects the quantity of fruit juices for
titrated iodate titrant used and must be standardized. titrations

Concentration of Titrant used in titration experiments and must be Prepared 1 L of 0.00200 M

potassium iodate standardized. solution
solution

Amount of Glycerin affects the functional properties of the Added the same 5.0 mL
glycerin added carbohydrate-based film which adds flexibility to amount of glycerin
to make the it.25 to all
plastic

Time used to dry Different time duration of drying plastic affects Made the plastic on 2 days
plastic the flexibility and its physical properties. the same day and
dried them for
another 2 days

Thickness of the Thickness of the plastic directly influences the Make them as even
plastic permeability and other physical properties of the as possible by
plastic. spreading with
rubber scraper

Speed of If the titration is not done quickly enough, the Performed all the 2 minutes
titration ascorbic acid is going to be oxidized by oxygen titrations within the
in the air quickly when it is taken out from the same time limit
volumetric flask.

Diameter of the Diameter of the storage flask directly affects the Used Erlenmeyer 250 mL
flask surface area exposed to air and may have a direct flasks of the same Erlenmeyer
bearing on the rate of ascorbic acid oxidation size flask

25 Ewelina Basiak, Andrzej Lenart, and Frédéric Debeaufort, “How Glycerol and Water Contents Affect the

Structural and Functional Properties of Starch-Based Edible Films,” Polymers 10, no. 4 (April 8, 2018): 412,
https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10040412.


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6. Methodology

A number of methods are known for the quantitative determination of ascorbic acid

contents, such as iodine titration, 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol titration, and ultraviolet

absorption spectroscopy etc.26 Iodine titration is chosen as the primary method to measure the

concentration of ascorbic acid here as it is inexpensive, quick, and accurate. Particularly, iodine

forms a dark blue complex with starch – appearance of this intense coloration provides a

convenient means to determine the end-point of titrations. At the same time though, if a fruit

juice sample contains pigments, colorimetric determination of titration endpoint can be

challenging.

Because ascorbic acid is a strong reducing agent (E0 = +4.44V),27 it is easily oxidized by

atmospheric oxygen. The oxidation process is faster in an alkaline medium as the presence of

base removes acidic protons from ascorbic acid. The resulting anionic intermediate would have a

higher propensity toward electron loss, leading to the oxidized form – dehydroascorbic acid.

Therefore, a basic medium was consciously avoided for the titration experiments. Considering

that iodine is easily oxidized in a strongly acidic solution, a weakly acidic solution with pH=3~4

as chosen. The ascorbic acid content in fruit juice are used as analyte, and potassium iodate as

titrant. Iodine is formed when potassium iodate is added into the analyte through a burette,

through the following reaction:

𝑲𝑰𝑶𝟑(𝒂𝒒) + 𝟔𝑯- (𝒂𝒒) + 𝟓𝑰/ (𝒂𝒒) ⟶ 𝟑𝑰𝟐(𝒂𝒒) + 𝑯𝟐 𝑶(𝒍) + 𝑲- (𝒂𝒒)

26 Mohammed Almajidi and Hazim Algubury, “Determination of Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) Contents in Various

Fruit and Vegetable by UV-Spectrophotometry and Titration Methods”, J. Chem. Pharm. Sci. 9 (January 1,
2016): 2972–74.
27 Toru Matsui et al., “Accurate Standard Hydrogen Electrode Potential and Applications to the Redox

Potentials of Vitamin C and NAD/NADH,” The Journal of Physical Chemistry A 119, no. 2 (January 15, 2015):
369–76, https://doi.org/10.1021/jp508308y.


13

The redox reaction above may be characterized as a comproportionation process: the

iodine atom of KIO3 undergoes reduction as the oxidation state changes from +5 to 0, whereas

the iodide anion undergoes concurrent oxidization as the oxidation state increases from -1 to 0.

The production of molecular iodine is followed by reduction to iodide (I-) by ascorbic

acid, according to the following reaction:

𝑪𝟔 𝑯𝟖 𝑶𝟔 (𝒂𝒒) + 𝑰𝟐(𝒂𝒒) ⟶ 𝑪𝟔 𝑯𝟔 𝑶𝟔 (𝒂𝒒) + 𝟐𝑯- (𝒂𝒒) + 𝟐𝑰/ (𝒂𝒒)

When the ascorbic acid in solution is completely consumed, any additional iodine reacts

with the starch indicator and turns the solution blue.


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6.1 Design

Fig. 5. Experimental design Fig. 6. Colored carbohydrate-based film

This self-design experiment mimics bottled fruit

juice (Fig. 5), wherein the plastic cap was replaced by

carbohydrate-based film made from acid hydrolysis

process (Fig. 6). The flasks were first filled with 250 mL

of fruit juice, after which the Erlenmeyer flasks were

covered with the respective films fastened with rubber

bands (Fig. 7). In addition, two series of controls, one

with normal plastic cling film packaging (“Plastic”), and

one without any cover at all (“Non-covered”) were also

measured in order to assess the significance of the results

Fig. 7. Erlenmeyer flasks covered
of this investigation.
with carbohydrate-based films


15

6.2 Safety Precautions

During the above-mentioned experiments, personal protective equipment including lab coat,

safety goggles and gloves was worn.

The following hazards were identified, and precautions as stipulated below were

undertaken.

Potential Hazard Precaution

Heating The heater could reach 80-degree Celsius, Insulation gloves were worn while
potentially causing burns through skin handling the heater; any inflammable
contacts. objects such as plastics were removed
from the vicinity prior to
experimentation.

Hydrochloric It is a strong and gaseous acid which could Handled hydrochloric acid solutions
Acid form acidic mists, causing respiratory with caution. Rinsed skin with copious
irritation28 amount of cold water in case of contact.

Potassium The fine powder can be inhaled which can Wore powder mask.
iodate cause severe airway obstruction

28 “Hydrochloric Acid Hazards & Safety Tips,” MSDSonline (blog), September 10, 2014,

https://www.msdsonline.com/2014/09/10/hydrochloric-acid-hazards-safety-tips/.


16

6.3 Procedure

Determination of ascorbic acid content

1. Measure 0.5000 g of potassium iodate using digital balance.

2. Measure 60.0 mL of 1 M hydrochloric acid using burette.

3. Transfer the 0.5000 g of potassium iodate and 60.0 mL of 1 M hydrochloric acid into

a 1 L volumetric flask and dilute it to 1 L with distilled water to make it 0.00200M.

4. Measure 20.0000 g of potassium iodide and dissolve it with 100.0 mL of distilled

water

5. Making 1% starch solution by adding one gram of starch into 100 mL boiled water,

make sure it is well mixed and use it after cooled down.

6. Make 2.0 L of tomato, kiwi and orange juice, then add 200.0 mL of the juice into

corresponding 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask.

7. Shield the Erlenmeyer flask accordingly with three different types of films.

8. Add three drops of essential oil into the juices to prevent the juice from spoilage.29

9. Set up the stand and add 30.00 mL of potassium iodate solution to wash the burette.

10. Take 50 mL of the juice sample from the Erlenmeyer flask and add 5 mL of 1%

starch, 5 mL of potassium iodate solution into the solution, 50 mL of deionized water.

11. Titrate and record the amount of potassium iodate solution used to shift the color of

the juice into light purple.

12. Measure the ascorbic acid content of the 27 sets for 3 consecutive days and then plot

the data into a spreadsheet to make a graph.

13. Repeat for other juices by using same steps from 9 to 11.

29 Oluyemisi Elizabeth Adelakun, Olusegun James Oyelade, and Bosede Folake Olanipekun, “Use of Essential

Oils in Food Preservation,” in Essential Oils in Food Preservation, Flavor and Safety (Elsevier, 2016), 71–84,
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-416641-7.00007-9.


17

7. Results

*(All the raw data are shown in the Appendix)

Table 2: Mean volume of iodine solution used for titration in four types of films (+ non-covered)
and three different types of fruit juices within 3 days.

Orange
Type of Mean volume of potassium iodate solution used for titration (± 0.05 mL)
film/time(hours) 0 (h) 24 (h) 48 (h) 72 (h)
Corn 24.0 20.4 18.7
Tapioca 22.1 18.6 17.3
Potato 25.6 20.6 18.9 17.7
Plastic 23.6 21.3 19.7
Non-covered 19.9 17.3 16.2
Tomato
Type of Mean volume of potassium iodate solution used for titration (± 0.05 mL)
film/time(hours) 0 (h) 24 (h) 48 (h) 72 (h)
Corn 6.8 5.2 4.8
Tapioca 6.0 5.4 4.6
Potato 8.0 5.4 4.8 4.4
Plastic 7.1 5.9 5.4
Non-covered 5.6 4.7 4.1
Kiwi
Type of Mean volume of potassium iodate solution used for titration (± 0.05 mL)
film/time(hours) 0 (h) 24 (h) 48 (h) 72 (h)
Corn 28.4 26.1 24.4
Tapioca 26.7 25.4 24.6
Potato 30.7 25.8 34.7 24.0
Plastic 28.8 26.8 25.4
Non-covered 25.6 24.0 23.1


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Calculation Sample: Mean value of ascorbic acid in orange juice (mg in 50 mL fruit juice)

at 0(h)

𝑲𝑰𝑶𝟑(𝒂𝒒) + 𝟔𝑯- (𝒂𝒒) + 𝟓𝑰/ (𝒂𝒒) ⟶ 𝟑𝑰𝟐 + 𝑯𝟐 𝑶(𝒍) + 𝑲- (𝒂𝒒)

𝑪𝟔 𝑯𝟖 𝑶𝟔 (𝒂𝒒) + 𝑰𝟐(𝒂𝒒) ⟶ 𝑪𝟔 𝑯𝟔 𝑶𝟔 (𝒂𝒒) + 𝟐𝑯- (𝒂𝒒) + 𝟐𝑰/ (𝒂𝒒)

According to the top equation, when 1 mol of KIO3 reacts with excess iodide, it produces

3 mol of iodine. The bottom equation indicates that 1 mol of iodine consumes 1 mol of ascorbic

acid. Thus, the number of moles of ascorbic acid can be calculated from the number of moles of

KIO3:

𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠 (𝑛) = 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 G J × 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒(𝑑𝑚I )
𝑑𝑚I
QRS
Since the concentration of KIO3 in all cases is equal to 2.00 × 10/I TQU , taking the average

amount of KIO3 measured in mL from Table 2 (0h), we obtain:

Number of moles of KIO3 = 2.00 × 10/I × 2.56 × 10/X = 5.12 × 10/Y 𝑚𝑜𝑙

Number of moles of 𝐼X = 5.12 × 10/Y 𝑚𝑜𝑙 × 3 = 1.52 × 10/\ 𝑚𝑜𝑙

Since the mole ratio of ascorbic acid to iodine solution is 1:1, there are also 1.5×10-4 mol

of ascorbic acid.

To calculate the concentration in mg/50 mL, the following approach was used:

𝑚 =𝑛×𝑀

𝑚 = 1.52 × 10/\ 𝑚𝑜𝑙 × 176.12 × 1000 = 26.4 𝑚𝑔

therefore, the concentration is equal to 26.4 mg / 50 mL


19

Table 3. Mean value of ascorbic acid in different fruits (mg in 50 mL fruit juice) and its standard
deviation

Orange
Type of
0 (h) 24 (h) 48 (h) 72 (h)
film/time(hours)
Corn 25.4 ±0.7 21.5 ±0.8 19.8 ±0.8
Tapioca 23.3 ±0.6 19.6 ±1.2 18.3 ±0.5
Potato 26.4 ±0.4 21.8 ±0.6 20.0 ±0.4 18.6 ±0.6
Plastic 24.9 ±0.4 22.5 ±0.8 20.7 ±0.4
Non-covered 21.0 ±0.3 18.2 ±0.4 17.1 ±0.5
Tomato
Type of
0 (h) 24 (h) 48 (h) 72 (h)
film/time(hours)
Corn 7.1 ±0.4 5.4 ±0.5 5.0 ±0.4
Tapioca 6.3 ±0.2 5.7 ±0.4 4.8 ±0.3
Potato 8.4 ±0.2 5.7 ±0.1 5.0 ±0.2 4.6 ±0.2
Plastic 7.5 ±0.3 6.2 ±0.2 5.7 ±0.3
Non-covered 5.9 ±0.3 4.9 ±0.3 4.3 ±0.2
Kiwi
Type of
0 (h) 24 (h) 48 (h) 72 (h)
film/time(hours)
Corn 29.9 ±0.7 27.5 ±1.1 25.8 ±0.9
Tapioca 28.2 ±0.6 26.8 ±0.5 26.0 ±0.7
Potato 32.0 ±0.5 27.2 ±0.4 26.1 ±0.7 25.3 ±0.6
Plastic 30.4 ±0.4 28.3 ±0.2 26.8 ±0.4
Non-covered 27.0 ±0.4 25.4 ±0.3 24.4 ±0.6


20

Ascorbic acid concentration change in orange

corn tapioca
26.5
Concentration of ascorbic acid (mg/50mL)
potato plastic
non-covered
24.5

22.5

20.5

18.5

16.5
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
t (hours)

Fig. 8. Effect of different films on ascorbic acid concentration in orange juice at ambient
temperature.

Ascorbic acid concentration change in tomato

9.0
Concentration of ascorbic acid (mg/50mL )

corn tapioca
8.5
potato plastic
8.0
non-covered
7.5
7.0
6.5
6.0
5.5
5.0
4.5
4.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
t (hours)

Fig. 9. Effect of different films on ascorbic acid concentration in tomato juice at ambient
temperature.


21

Ascorbic acid concentration change in kiwi

33.0

Concentration of ascorbic acid (mg/50mL )

corn tapioca
32.0
potato plastic
31.0
non-covered
30.0
29.0
28.0
27.0
26.0
25.0
24.0
23.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
t (hours)

Fig. 10. Effect of different films on ascorbic acid concentration in kiwi juice at ambient
temperature.

Figs. 8-10 indicate that the content of ascorbic acid decreased over time for all the trials.

However, the rate of depletion appears to slow down over time. This can be possibly ascribed to

the decreasing concentration of ascorbic acid in solution as well as the increasing concentration

of any air which permeates through the films.

Figs. 8-10 also compare the ascorbic acid content of fruit juices covered with different

films over time. The differences in ascorbic acid content were more pronounced at the beginning

of the experiment, but gradually reduced over time. For example, referring to Fig. 8, the

difference between the highest (cornstarch) and the lowest ascorbic acid (non-covered) content in

the first 24 hours is 4.34 mg/50 mL, whereas this value diminished to 2.08 mg/50 mL after 72

hours. This trend may be explained by the different oxygen-excluding properties of the different

amylose-amylopectin ratios present in different starches.


22

To continue, Figs. 8-10. illustrate that corn-based film is almost equally effective at

preventing the passage of air compared to plastic films. This is evident from the similar rates of

ascorbic acid depletion for juices covered with the two films. Nevertheless, Figs. 9-10 show a

widening of the differences between those two films after the first 24 hours – this can be due to

the increase of humidity of the film as a result of evaporation which can adversely affect the

performance of the carbohydrate-based film (will be discussed further later).

Calculation example: in potato 24 hours compare to 0 hour

|𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑐 𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 24 ℎ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 0 ℎ|

=
𝐴𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑐 𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛 0 ℎ

|25.4 − 26.9|
= × 100% = 5.8%
26.9

Table. 4. Rate of ascorbic acid concentration reduction in 78 hours in different fruit juice
Orange
Type of Day 1 over initial Day 2 over Day 1 Day 3 over Day 2
film/time(hours)
Corn 5.8% 15.0% 10.0%
Tapioca 13.2% 16.0% 6.3%
Potato 18.2% 9.3% 5.8%
Plastic 7.3% 9.7% 8.0%
Non-covered 21.8% 10.9% 4.1%
Tomato
Types of Day 1 over initial Day 2 over Day 1 Day 3 over Day 2
films/time(hours)
Corn 15.0% 22.1% 11.9%
Tapioca 25.0% 9.4% 15.3%
Potato 32.1% 11.7% 9.0%
Plastic 11.3% 16.9% 10.7%
Non-covered 29.6% 17.2% 9.3%


23

Kiwi
Types of Day 1 over initial Day 2 over Day 1 Day 3 over Day 2
films/time(hours)
Corn 6.4% 8.1% 6.3%
Tapioca 11.0% 5.7% 3.3%
Potato 11.6% 7.7% 2.0%
Plastic 4.8% 6.9% 4.5%
Non-covered 15.5% 6.1% 1.9%

Rate of ascorbic acid decrease in 50 mL orange juice

corn tapioca potato plastic non-covered

25.0%
Rate of reduction in precentage

20.0%

15.0%

10.0%

5.0%

0.0%
Day1 over initial Day2 over Day1 Day3 over Day2

Fig. 11. Rate of ascorbic acid decrease in 50 mL orange juice


24

Rate of ascorbic acid decrease in 50 mL tomato juice

corn tapioca potato plastic non-covered

Rate of reduction in percentage

35.0%

30.0%

25.0%

20.0%

15.0%

10.0%

5.0%

0.0%
Day1 over initial Day2 over Day1 Day3 over Day2

Fig. 12. Rate of ascorbic acid decrease in 50 mL tomato juice

Rate of ascorbic acid decrease in 50 mL kiwi juice

corn tapioca potato plastic non-covered

18.0%
Rate of reduction in concentration

16.0%

14.0%

12.0%

10.0%

8.0%

6.0%

4.0%

2.0%

0.0%
Day1 over initial Day2 over Day1 Day3 over Day2

Fig. 13. Rate of ascorbic acid decrease in 50 mL kiwi juice


25

From Figs. 11-13, it can be seen that juices covered with potato starch showed the most

substantial decrease in ascorbic acid content over the first 24 hours. Nevertheless, the rate of

oxidation appears to have slowed down in the second day. Similarly, for samples covered with

tapioca starch films, ascorbic acid oxidation appears to be significantly faster during the first day.

Conversely, samples covered by cornstarch exhibited slow oxidation for day 1, while a higher

percentage change was noted for day 2.

In addition, plastic cling film shows a stable rate of ascorbic acid change. By the end of

the 3-day period, the oxidation rate for samples covered by all types of film become close to one

another. This is possibly due to the decrease in ascorbic acid content – the effect of storage

means becomes less important. Thereupon, it is postulated that the first 24 hours are most

reflective of the abilities of each material to prevent oxygen infiltration.

In light of the figures and discussions above, it can be deduced that cornstarch exhibits the

greatest ability at slowing down the rate of ascorbic acid oxidation, followed by potato and

tapioca starch. However, my experiment has demonstrated a different value than the theoretical

one.12 Nevertheless, this trend appears partially inconsistent with the hypothesis and the

respective amylose-amylopectin contents of each starch material. To analyze the reasons behind

this disparity, the films of corn starch, tapioca, potato were burned into ashes to assess their

purity (procedure is shown in the Appendix), assuming the carbohydrate film undergoes

complete combustion, according to the following reaction

𝐂𝟔 𝐇𝟏𝟐 𝐎𝟔(𝒔) + 𝟔𝐎𝟐(𝒈) ⟶ 𝟔𝐇𝟐 𝐎(𝒈) + 𝟔𝐂𝐎𝟐(𝒈)


26

Table. 5. Mass of ash remaining (g) after burning different carbohydrate-based films and its
standard deviation
Trial number Corn-based film Potato-based film Tapioca-based film
Trial 1 0.0700 0.2128 0.1421
Trial 2 0.0779 0.3079 0.2688
Trial 3 0.1240 0.2786 0.1903
Trial 4 0.0673 0.1826 0.1029
Mean 0.0848 0.2455 0.1421
Standard Deviation 0.0265 0.0578 0.0714

0.3500
Amount of ash left when 2g of plastic was burned

0.3000

0.2500

0.2000
(g)

0.1500

0.1000

0.0500

0.0000
Corn starch Potato starch Tapioca starch

Fig. 15. Amount of ash left after 2 grams of different types of carbohydrate-based film were
burned

Figure 15 shows amount of ash was produced when 2 g of carbohydrate-based film were

burned completely. The result indicates that corn starch has the least ash remaining whereas


27

potato starch the greatest. This higher ash content may indicate greater inorganic material

impurity content. This is consistent with the previous results -- amongst the three types of

starches examined; cornstarch appears optimal at preserving the ascorbic acid contents in fruit

juices.

Figure 15 also provides some insight about the observed differences in oxygen barrier ability

of potato vs tapioca starch. Even though statistical significance (based on a simple error bar

comparison) is not reached, there is some indication that more impurities are present in potato

than tapioca starch which may explain, up to a point, the observed differences in preventing

oxygen penetration.


28

8. Statistical t-test

With the aim to understand whether the carbohydrate-based films show significantly

different results compared to plastic film, a t-test is carried out. If there is no significant

difference between the carbohydrate-based and the plastic film results, then the t-statistic value

should be smaller than the t-critical one-tail value. Since from the previous data, all the

carbohydrate-based films show a similar trend in all three juices, only one example (orange juice)

has been calculated and shown below.

Table. 6. T-test table in orange juice

Corn-based Tapioca-based Potato-based Non-covered Plastic
Mean 22.1442 20.4886 20.3008 19.2793 22.7547
Variance 9.0875 6.6879 2.6332 2.5389 4.5001
Observations 3 3 3 3 3
Hypothesized
0 0 0 0 /
Mean Difference
df 4 4 4 4 /
t-Stat 0.2869 1.1734 1.5914 2.2689 /
P(T<=t) one-tail 0.3942 0.1529 0.0934 0.0429 /
t-Critical one-tail 2.1318 2.1318 2.1318 2.1318 /

Based on the above, the t-statistic values for corn-based, tapioca-based, and potato-based

films are 0.2869, 1.1734 and 1.5914 respectively, smaller than the t-Critical one-tail value of

2.1318. This demonstrates that all carbohydrate-based films do not show significant difference

than plastic film. This demonstrates that the property of carbohydrate-based film to prevent

oxygen penetration is similar to plastic film, whereas the non-covered experiment indeed shows

higher t-Stat value than t-Critical value, i.e. it shows significant difference compared to plastic

film.


29

9. Conclusion and Discussion

Fresh fruits and vegetables undergo a variety of physiological activities during storage.

While the quantification of ascorbic acid is a generally accepted method to evaluate the extent of

degradation, the concurrent occurrence of many other physiochemical reactions cannot be

overlooked.30 Carbohydrate-based and plastic films can prevent oxygen from penetrating, thus

extending shelf-life. Different types of carbohydrate-based film show different permeability to

oxygen as the oxidation rate of ascorbic in fruit juice differs. These differences can be caused by

a number of factors. For example, the physical properties of the carbohydrate-based film can

depend on the granule size and the composition of the starch.

As starch comprises amylose and amylopectin, the ratio of those two components can

play a significant role in oxygen permeability (vide supra). Further, it has been found that when

humidity increases, the water content and oxygen permeability of carbohydrate-based film

increase, and B-type crystal appears more frequently.31 Since the linear structure of amylose

gives rise to strong hydrogen bonding, it has a relative lower water absorption capacity compared

to amylopectin,32 whereas amylopectin is highly branched, making it more prone to absorb

water.33

A recent research paper compares pea starch (with 40% of amylose) with LDPE (low-

density polyethylene) plastic to examine the effect of increasing of relative humidity (RH) on the

30 Swathi, Gladvin, and Babitha, “Physico-Chemical Charectristics and Applications of Edible Films for Fruit

Preservation.”
31 Thawien Wittaya, “Rice Starch-Based Biodegradable Films: Properties Enhancement,” in Structure and

Function of Food Engineering, ed. Ayman Amer Eissa (InTech, 2012), https://doi.org/10.5772/47751.
32 “Difference Between Amylose and Amylopectin | Difference Between | Amylose vs Amylopectin,” accessed

December 23, 2018, http://www.differencebetween.net/science/nature/difference-between-amylose-and-

amylopectin/.
33 Wittaya, “Rice Starch-Based Biodegradable Films.”


30

oxygen permeability. 34 It was shown that both LDPE and pea starch films are excellent oxygen

barriers (Oxygen Permeability (OP) < 0.5 cm3 µm) at relative humidity below 30%, but when

RH value increases to 55%, OP was 1.7 cm3 µm. This means pea starch shows significant

decrease in preventing oxygen when humidity increases, whereas LDPE has not lost its oxygen

barrier properties which corresponds to the present findings. It was also reported that the

increased humidity would have effects on for both amylose and amylopectin due to the loosened

structure and increase of the mobility of oxygen to pass through.35

Cornstarch has the highest amylose content and tapioca has the highest amylopectin

content (Table 1). Thus, in theory, tapioca film is expected to be the poorest oxygen barrier.

However, according to the results of the present study, oxygen permeation appears to be faster

with potato starch film instead. This might be attributed to the fact that the granule size of the

potato starch is larger than those of tapioca and cornstarch. The literature reports indicate that

potato starch granules are oval in shape with a diameter of 15-100 µm. Corn starch granules have

diameter of about 15 µm. Tapioca starch granules are the smallest among the three.36 In reality,

granule sizes may also be affected by other factors such as brands – starches from different

manufacturers could have different purity and methods of preparation. In order to test the purity

of the starch granules, a combustion experiment was carried out which showcased that corn

starch has the most ash left after combustion. This observation is consistent with the volumetric

experiments.

34 G F Mehyar and A Al Bawab, “Resistance to Moist Conditions of Whey Protein Isolate and Pea Starch

Biodegradable Films and Low Density Polyethylene Nondegradable Films: A Comparative Study,” IOP
Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering 92 (October 12, 2015): 012013,
https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/92/1/012013.
35 Mehyar and Bawab.
36 Jen-Fang Chen, “Effects of Amylose and Amylopectin on the Functional Properties of Starch,” n.d., 77.


31

Respiration is necessary to maintain the life activities of fruits and vegetables during

storage, but excessive respiration will inevitably consume a large number of nutrients and

promote tissue aging. Therefore, carbohydrate-based films can be used to slow down the rate of

redox activities by blocking oxygen penetration and reduce the damage of cell membrane, while

maintaining the basic respiratory function of tissues. Ascorbic acid is an important free radical

scavenger in organisms. The accumulation of free radicals and the loss of ascorbic acid increases

naturally after cell membrane injury. In the present experiment, cornstarch-based film shows the

closest outcome to plastic film to preserve selected fruit juices, followed by tapioca-based and

then potato-based film. This is likely attributable to the relative high concentration of amylose

content in corn compare to potato and tapioca.

10. Evaluation and Limitations

There are many limitations in this investigation; one of the most significant is that oxygen is

not rigorously excluded from the fruit juices or the headspace of the flask. The dissolved oxygen

or those in the headspace may contribute to the oxidation of ascorbic acid. To obviate this issue,

purging the vessels and juices with an inert gas (e.g., nitrogen or argon) may be considered.

Nevertheless, it is noted that flasks covered with films showed a slower loss of ascorbic acid

content compared with the non-covered control (open flask). This indicates that penetration of

the atmospheric oxygen has a substantial role on the degradation of ascorbic acid,

notwithstanding any residual oxygen present in the experiment system.

Second, since the juice is a mixture of different components, other reducing agents may also

be present, or some other chemicals in the juices can be oxidized by iodine. Since those

components vary across different juices, their impacts cannot be ascertained accurately. For


32

example, polyphenols are commonly present in fruits and vegetables.37 To this end, analytes may

be spiked with an ascorbate solution of known concentration. The matrix effects could, at least in

part, be eliminated by observing the incremental effects of the “spiking solution”.

The existing colors of fruit juices made colorimetric determination of the end point

challenging at times (orange-yellow, kiwi-green, tomato-red). Although distilled water was

added to dilute the juice sample, some coloration lingers. This could be addressed by using a

more accurate method to determine the ascorbic content in fruits such as UV-spectrophotometric

method.38

The exact amylose and amylopectin contents of the starches used were not experimentally

determined here. Although values found from prior literature reports were useful in the

formulation of hypothesis, actual values may be experimentally determined using spectroscopic

means.39

Further, some inaccuracies could arise from the sampling process – when fruits are squeezed

into juices. For example, some fruits may not squeezed fully – orange juice vesicles are covered

by a thin membrane, and this membrane prevents oxidation to take place. This could be

improved by using a blender.

For future research, it is recommended to reproduce the experiment with these improvements

mentioned above and seek for the most commercially cost-effective and best performance

carbohydrate-based film, and to investigate the microstructure of such films with advanced

37
Ewa Cieślik, Anna Gręda, and Wiktor Adamus, “Contents of Polyphenols in Fruit and Vegetables,” Food
Chemistry 94, no. 1 (January 2006): 135–42, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2004.11.015.
38
Dayane A. Santos et al., “Vitamin C Determination by Ultraviolet Spectroscopy and Multiproduct
Calibration,” Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society 27, no. 10 (October 2016): 1912–17,
https://doi.org/10.5935/0103-5053.20160071.
39
M. Séne, C. Thévenot, and J.L. Prioul, “Simultaneous Spectrophotometric Determination of Amylose and
Amylopectin in Starch from Maize Kernel by Multi-Wavelength Analysis,” Journal of Cereal Science 26, no. 2
(September 1997): 211–21, https://doi.org/10.1006/jcrs.1997.0124.


33

methods such as Scanning Tunneling Microscopy.40 This alternative to un-ecofriendly plastic

films could further motivate food packaging companies to reduce their ecological footprints and

perhaps their production costs as well.

40 J. Tersoff and D. R. Hamann, “Theory and Application for the Scanning Tunneling Microscope,” Physical

Review Letters 50, no. 25 (June 20, 1983): 1998–2001, https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.50.1998.


34

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wrap-used-within-6-months/.
“Vitamin C: Best Food Sources, Why You Need It, and More - HealthXchange.” Accessed
December 19, 2018. https://www.healthxchange.sg/food-nutrition/food-tips/vitamin-c-
best-food-sources-need.
Wang, Shujun, and Les Copeland. “Effect of Acid Hydrolysis on Starch Structure and
Functionality: A Review.” Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 55, no. 8 (July
3, 2015): 1081–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2012.684551.
“Why Are Plastics Considered Non-Biodegradable? | Socratic.” Socratic.org. Accessed
December 18, 2018. https://socratic.org/questions/why-are-plastics-considered-non-
biodegradable.
Wittaya, Thawien. “Rice Starch-Based Biodegradable Films: Properties Enhancement.” In
Structure and Function of Food Engineering, edited by Ayman Amer Eissa. InTech,
2012. https://doi.org/10.5772/47751.


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12. Appendix

12.1 Figures


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12.2 Materials and Apparatus

Material Quantity Uncertainty

Making carbohydrate-based film

Corn starch 20.00 g ± 0.01

Potato starch 20.00 g ± 0.01

Tapioca starch 20.00 g ± 0.01

Glycerin 30.00 mL ± 0.05

Vinegar 30.00 mL ± 0.05

500 mL beaker 1 ± 5.00

Pipettes 1 ± 0.05

Stirring rod 1 /

Heater 1 /

Parchment paper 6 /

Electronic balance 1 ± 0.01

50.0 mL graduated cylinder 1 ± 0.05

5 mL Pipette 1 ± 0.01

Food coloring 3 different types /

Determination of ascorbic acid content

Elastic band 30 /

Hydrochloric acid (1 M) 50.0 ml /

rubber scraper 1 /

Fresh orange juice 2.50 L ± 5.00

Fresh tomato juice 2.50 L ± 5.00

Fresh kiwi juice 2.50 L ± 5.00

Potassium Iodate 0.50g ± 0.001


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Potassium Iodide 10.000 g ± 0.001

Volumetric flask 1 ± 0.4

1 % starch solution 100 mL ± 0.5

Burette/Stand 1 ± 0.05

100.00 mL graduated cylinder 1 ± 0.5

5.00 mL dropper 1 ± 0.5

250 mL Erlenmeyer flasks 30 ± 5.00

125 mL Erlenmeyer flasks 3 ± 5.00

12.3 Experimental Procedure

Preparation for starch-based films

1. Measure 10.00 g of corn starch in the 4 digital electronic balance using a spatula.

2. Measure 5.00 mL of glycerin and 5 mL of vinegar in a 10 mL cylinder.

3. Measure 60.00 mL of distilled water

4. Pour the measured water, starch, glycerin and vinegar into a 500mL beaker and put them

on the heater.

5. Use stirring rod to stir the solution until the color of the starch solution become slightly

transparent, add a drop of food coloring solution and keep steering for another 2 minutes,

which the color is added to better recognize the type of starch (blue for tapioca, red for

potato and yellow for corn starch).

6. Pour the solution into the parchment paper and spread it evenly using rubber scraper,

make sure there is no bubbles in it, if there is, use needle to pop the bubble, then put it

into the microwave oven, set the temperature at 50 degree for 5 hours until its dry.


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7. Repeat this procedure for other types of starch with another two repeats, then with 50 mL

of distilled water to dilute the juice sample to have make the endpoint

Combustion reaction

1. Weight 2.00 g of carbohydrate-based plastic using 4-digit electronic balance.

2. Weight it again with plate and record the mass.

3. Use tongs to pick up the plastic and burn it next to the Bunsen burner, make sure it is

completely burned by cutting the ash into half.

4. Weigh the ash with plate and weight the ash without plate.

5. Make sure the gas is turned off every time after the experiment.


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12.3 Raw Data

Table 6: Raw data of three different types of plastic have effect on three different types of fruits

within 3 days.

Time in Types of films Number Amount of potassium iodate solution used for titration
hour(s) of trials (±0.05)

Orange Tomato Kiwi

0h Initial value 1 25.5 8.0 31.0

2 25.2 7.8 30.6

3 26.0 8.3 30.3

24 h Corn-based 1 23.7 7.3 27.9

2 24.6 6.6 28.4

3 23.8 6.5 28.8

Tapioca-based 1 22.3 6.2 27.3

2 21.5 5.7 26.4

3 22.6 6.1 26.5

Potato-based 1 21.2 5.4 24.9

2 20.9 5.6 26.0

3 19.8 5.3 26.5

Plastic film 1 24.1 6.7 28.4

2 23.2 7.4 29.2

3 23.6 7.2 28.9

Non-covered 1 20.3 5.6 26.0

2 19.7 6.0 25.7

3 19.8 5.3 25.1

48 h Corn-based 1 20.2 5.0 25.1


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2 19.9 4.8 27.3

3 21.2 5.8 25.8

Tapioca-based 1 19.7 5.8 25.1

2 17.6 5.6 26.0

3 18.5 4.9 25.2

Potato-based 1 18.7 4.6 24.2

2 19.4 4.7 25.6

3 18.7 5.1 24.4

Plastic film 1 21.6 5.8 26.7

2 20.9 6.2 27.1

3 21.5 5.7 26.7

Non-covered 1 16.4 5.1 23.8

2 17.8 4.5 24.3

3 17.6 4.4 24.0

72 h Corn-based 1 19.0 4.3 23.4

2 17.9 4.7 24.8

3 19.3 5.3 25.1

Tapioca-based 1 17.7 4.6 24.1

2 16.9 4.7 25.4

3 17.4 4.5 24.3

Potato-based 1 18.1 4.4 23.6

2 17.0 4.1 24.9

3 17.9 4.6 23.5

Plastic film 1 19.3 5.4 25.2

2 20.2 5.7 25.0

3 19.5 5.1 25.9


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Non-covered 1 16.1 4.2 22.3

2 16.9 3.9 23.4

3 15.7 4.3 23.6

Table 7: Mass of 2.00 grams of carbohydrate-based films burned before and after

Mass of carbohydrate-based (±0.0001g)

Trial number Corn-based film Potato-based film Tapioca-based film

Trial 1 Before 35.5370 35.5505 34.6319

After 33.5689 33.7092 32.7500

Trial 2 Before 35.5715 35.5644 34.6454

After 33.5765 33.8060 32.9140

Trial 3 Before 35.5641 35.5961 35.5253

After 33.6230 33.7769 33.7008

Trial 4 Before 35.5615 35.5182 36.5309

After 33.5670 33.6817 34.5588


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Table 8: Average volume of iodine solution used for titration in four types of films and three

different types of fruit juices within 3 days.

Orange

Types of 0 (h) 24 (h) 48 (h) 72 (h)

starch/time(hours) Mean volume of potassium iodate solution used for titration (± 0.05mL)

Corn 24.0 20.4 18.7

Tapioca 22.1 18.6 17.3

Potato 25.6 20.6 18.9 17.7

Plastic film 23.6 21.3 19.7

Non-covered 19.9 17.3 16.2

Tomato

Types of 0 (h) 24 (h) 48 (h) 72 (h)

starch/time(hours) Mean volume of potassium iodate solution used for titration (± 0.05mL)

Corn 6.8 5.2 4.8

Tapioca 6.0 5.4 4.6

Potato 8.0 5.4 4.8 4.4

Plastic film 7.1 5.9 5.4

Non-covered 5.6 4.7 4.1

Kiwi

Types of 0 (h) 24 (h) 48 (h) 72 (h)

starch/time(hours) Mean volume of potassium iodate solution used for titration (± 0.05mL)

Corn 28.4 26.1 24.4

Tapioca 26.7 25.4 24.6

Potato 30.7 25.8 24.7 24.0

Plastic film 28.8 26.8 25.4

Non-covered 25.6 24.0 23.1


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12.4 Carbohydrate-Based Films

Fig. 16. Carbohydrate-based films