Names: Manuela Giraldo and María Fernanda López

The new bag is made of yucca

Thesis Statement: Plastics are materials that have as an essential component an

organic substance of great molecular weight (polymer), derived mainly from

petroleum refining, since polymers are composed of large chains, it is estimated

that the decomposition of plastic takes between 100 and 1000 years. Also, it is

representing the 20% to 40% in volume of industrial solid waste in the

industrialized countries. With the passage of the time, it has been seen that this is

a worldwide problem that must be controlled and eradicated, for this reason is

proposed to create a biodegradable material comply with the same function of the

plastic, which reduces the pollution and is environmentally friendly. As part of the

solution, our project proposes to implement a bag based on cassava starch which

manages to degrade under composting conditions by the action of microorganisms

(fungus, bacteria, algae, among others), also small animals can consume this

material without any problem because its plant origin and without toxic precursors.

This will be developed describing the structure of the starch, its obtaining and

characteristics, in addition a comparison with synthetic plastics will be made and

finally the advantages and disadvantages of both will be described.

Structure properties of starch: The starch is composed for two structures: 20%

is amylose and 80% is amylopectin. The amylose’s molecules is situated in the

interiors layers, are composed approximately of 200 to 20.000 for glucose bound

molecules for glycosidic bonds.

Figure 1. Segments of an amylose

molecule Figure 2. Segments of an

amylopectin molecule

The commercially specific properties of starch are mechanical strength and

flexibility, this properties depends the of resistance and character of the crystalline

region that depends of the relationship of amylose and amylopectin and therefore

ot type plant, molecular weight, degree of branching and of the forming process of

each polymer component.

Methods: There are several properties that starch possesses and that determine

the way it should be treated, depending on the use for which it is required:

Gelatinization: it is the lost of crystallinity of the grain. the cassava starch

gelatinizes in water between 60°C and 67°C, which consists of a swelling of starch

molecules because water penetrates its molecular structure. The viscosity of this

mixture depends on the concentration and absorption of water by starch. This

increases with the temperature until the fragmentation of the granules, which

disintegrate and dissolve generating a decrease in viscosity.

Retrogradation: After gelatinization, at the time when heat is introduced and the

cooling stage begins, the viscosity grows again and the phenomenon called

retrogradation happens. At the same time, a decrease in solubility in cold water

and an increase in turbidity are generated.

The glass transition: change induced by the heat on the characteristics of a

polymer, which with the increase of the temperature goes from fragile and brittle to

flexible solid.

Destructuring: consists in the transformation of the crystalline starch granules into

a homogeneous matrix of amorphous polymer, accompanied by a breakdown of

the hydrogen bonds between the starch molecules, on one side, and the partial

depolymerization of the molecules of the other.

Amylopectin is depolymerized initially and then amylose, with the application of

greater energy. Destructuring can also happen when heat is applied. The increase

in temperature increases the solubility of starch in water producing a significant

depolymerization around 150 ° C, however, only above 190 ° C can the increase in

solubility be confirmed. When the moisture content of the mixture is increased, the

degree of destructuring decreases.

Source:

1.Project interest: ElESPECTADOR.COM. (2017). Bolsas de yuca que al llegar al

mar se disuelven en el agua.ELESPECTADOR.COM. Obtenido de:

https://www.elespectador.com/noticias/medio-ambiente/bolsas-de-yuca-que-al-

llegar-al-mar-se-disuelven-en-el-agua-articulo-704629

2.Starch characterization: Ruiz Avilez, G. (2006). Obtención y caracterización de

un polímero biodegradable a partir del almidón de yuca. Obtenido de:

https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/835/83520401.pdf

3. Obtainment of biopolymer

- Where does cassava grow in Colombia: Dane.gov.co. (2015). Censo

Nacional Agropecuario Decima Entrega Resultods-2014. Obtenido de:

https://www.dane.gov.co/files/CensoAgropecuario/entrega-definitiva/Boletin-

10-produccion/10-Boletin.pdf

- Industrie: Ángeles Chero. (2015) Diseño de un proceso industrial para

obtener plástico biodegradable a partir de almidón de yuca Manihot

sculenta. Obtenido de:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273699367_DISENO_DE_UN_PR

OCESO_INDUSTRIAL_PARA_OBTENER_PLASTICO_BIODEGRADABLE

_A_PARTIR_DE_ALMIDON_DE_YUCA_manihot_sculenta