PSBB MILLENNIUM SCHOOL, GERUGAMBAKKAM

BIOPLASTICS

CHEMISTRY INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

DHANYAA
12 - A
GALLARY
GALLARY
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I wholeheartedly express my sincere gratitude and

thanks to my Chemistry teacher Mrs. Saraswathi,
for her valuable guidance and supervision.

I also pay my regard to our Principal Mrs. Bhavani

Shankar, for providing all help and facilities
required for completion of my project.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

S.NO CONTENT PAGE NO.

1. TOPIC

2. NEED FOR STUDY

3. INTRODUCTION

4. AIM

5. MATERIALS REQUIRED

6. PROCEDURE

7. GALLARY

8. DATA COLLECTED

9. CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS
THE SOCIETY
10. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 REASON FOR CHOOSING THIS TOPIC

As the world’s landfills begin to overflow with non-biodegradable,

oil-based plastics, it has now become a threat to all the living
beings on earth.
Many aquatic animals face danger due to the littering of synthetic
plastics in the water bodies.
Synthetic plastics posses a number of harmful chemicals.
I have chosen this topic to know in detail of the ways we can
decrease the use of synthetic plastics and how much helpful
Bioplastics can be.
 INTRODUCTION

 Bioplastics include plastics that are biodegradable

and/or made for renewable biomass sources.
 Bioplastics that are made from renewable biomass are
usually made from vegetable starch and glycerin and
are called starch-based bioplastics.
 Essentially, bioplastics are built upon long polymer
chains (really large molecules made of monomers) that
result from biomass starch (like cornstarch) mixed
together with biomass glycerol (like glycerin) under
heat.
 Forms of bioplastic include: starch based; PHB, a
product of bacteria processing glucose; PA 11, a
polymer made from natural oils that is very useful and
made from renewable sources but not biodegradable
AIM :
To prepare bioplastics using banana
peel, milk and potato starch.

Materials required:
 Potato
 Banana peels
 Milk
 Beakers
 Peeler
 Mortar and pestle
 Strainer
 Bunsen burner
 Aluminium foil
PROCEDURE:
Banana peel bioplastic-
1. An 800ml beaker was filled with distilled water and
placed over a Bunsen burner.
2. The banana peels were placed in the beaker and were
boiled for 30 minutes.
3. After the boiling process, the beaker was removed from
the Bunsen burner and the peels were decanted off the
water and placed on and covered with a dry gauze pad, left
to dry for 30 minutes.
4. After the peels were dried, they were placed in a clean
800ml beaker.
5. Using a hand blender, the peels were pureed until a
fluid paste was formed.
Production of the plastic:
1. 25ml of banana paste was placed in each 50ml beaker.
2. 3ml of HCl was added and the mixture was mixed using
a glass stirring rod.
3. 2ml of propan-1, 2, 3-triol was added to each beaker, the
mixture was stirred again.
4. 50gm of NaOH was added and the mixture was stirred
once more.
5. This mixture was then poured into a petri dish and left
to dry.
Milk bioplastic-
1. Measure out 1 cup (240 ml) of milk.
2. Stir the milk continuously heating on the stove.
3. Add 4 tablespoons (59 ml) of vinegar to the milk and
stir.
4. The milk curdles due to a change in its pH. The
vinegar contains acetic acid, which makes the milk
more acidic and causes the protein, called casein, to
unfold and reorganize into a long chain.
5. Pour the warm milk through the strainer.
6. As the milk drains through the strainer, you will see
the clumps remaining on top of the strainer.
7. Knead the casein dough
8. Wait at least 2 days for the “plastic” to dry.

Potato Starch Bioplastic-

1. Grate about 100 g of potato. The potato does not need
to be peeled, but it should be clean. Put the potato into
the mortar.
2. Add about 100 ml of distilled water to the mortar, and
grind the potato carefully.
3. Pour the liquid off through the tea strainer into the
beaker, leaving the potato behind in the mortar.
4. Leave the mixture to settle in the beaker for 5 mins.
5. Decant the water from the beaker, leaving behind the
white starch which should have settled in the bottom.
Put about 100 cm3 of distilled water in with the starch
and stir gently. Leave to settle again and then decant
the water, leaving the starch behind.
6. Put 25 ml water and 2.5 g of commercial potato
starch, 3 ml of hydrochloric acid and 2 ml of propane-
1,2,3-triol.
7. Put the watch glass on the beaker and heat the
mixture using the Bunsen burner. Bring it carefully to
the boil and then boil it gently for 15 mins. Do not boil
it dry. If it looks like it might, stop heating.
8. Dip the glass rod into the mixture and dot it onto the
indicator paper to measure the pH. Add enough
sodium hydroxide solution to neutralise the mixture,
testing after each addition with indicator paper. You
will probably need to add about the same amount as
you did of acid at the beginning
9. You can then add a drop of food colouring and mix
thoroughly.
10. Now pour this mixture on an aluminium foil and
let it dry for about 2 days.
 APPLICATIONS OF BIOPLASTICS

 Our biopolymers are suitable for a wide

range of catering and food-to-go products,
from thermoformed coffee cup lids to
injection-moulded cutlery and coatings for
paper and board. Our plant-based products
perform as well as oil-derived equivalents,
and are 100% biodegradable and ready to
compost along with food waste.

 Bioplastics can be injection moulded with

characteristics similar to ABS, without any
modifications required to existing
machinery. Bioplastics can be used in place
of oil-derived equivalents for plastic casings
and parts.

 Our plant-based bioplastics ensure that

brands in the cosmetics and personal care
sector are caring for both people and the
environment.
 CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE
SOCIETY

 The development of sophisticated packaging

has vastly improved the shelf life of products
whilst helping to define brands’ relationships
with their customers.
 But with vast amounts of packaging ending up
in landfill, unsustainable packaging is a highly
visible environmental issue.
 As a highly carbon intensive sector, industry is
increasingly focused on how best to process
limited natural resources into products with
minimal environmental impact and reduced
greenhouse gas emissions.
 The issue of plastic pollution has had a big
push in the last year and more people than ever
are thinking about it. Just like with any new
material we will find ways to make them more
sustainable and environmentally friendly.
GALLARY
BIOPLASTIC