ABSTRACT
The concern in environmental waste management and toxicity of petroleum derived plastics has led to the search for renewable, nontoxic and biodegradable materials for packaging. Starch is the most studied and promising biopolymer for the production of biodegradable films, but this starch films have poor properties which can be improved by blending with other materials and plasticizers. Borassus aethiopum shoot starch locally known as “Muruci” is a promising film forming biopolymer with high amylose content. Completely randomized design was used in this research with four factors; Borassus aethiopum shoot starch (BS), chitosan (CHI), glycerol (GLY) and shea butter (SB).This study presents the evaluation of the effect of plasticizer types (GLY) and (SB) singularly and in combination with varying concentration over the range of 0 to 50 % w/w on Borassus aethiopum shoots starch/Chitosan films (BSCF). Solution casting technique was employed for the film preparation at 800C. Starch from African Palmyra Palm (Borassus aethiopum) shoot has 20 % dry weight with amylose content of about 75.4 %. After series of different ratio combinations, the best films were formed from 2 %w/v of chitosan and starch composites in the presence of 30 %w/w GLY and 1 %w/w SB which were smooth and less transparent. Thickness, solubility in water, tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (EAB) of BSCF were analyzed. Significant (p<0.05) increase in the films TS and thickness was observed with the increase in solute concentration of starch and CHI, while the Solubility in water and EAB decreases. Plasticizers incorporation significantly (p<0.05) increases the films thickness but lowered the film’s TS. Presence of GLY increased the films solubility and EAB significantly (p<0.05), but the introduction of SB significantly reduced the films thickness and solubility in water, singularly and in combination with GLY. Biodegradability test shows that the films with high chitosan concentration in the presence of SB had the longest degradation time (33 days). The transparency of BSCF is generally low and increase in the film opacity was observed with increase in solute concentrations of the starch. This study demonstrated that the BSCF in the presence of glycerol and low concentration of shear butter as plasticizers is a biodegradable film with the strength and barrier property needed for several applications such as in packaging.
ABSTRACT
We have been studying a critical issue on the shore of conflict in an organization, it’s so crucial that...
Abstract: The effectiveness of apprenticeship tax incentives in promoting vocational traini...
Background Of Study
Education is the process by which individuals acquire the necessary knowledge, skil...
Background Of Study
Since 1981, when the Nigerian Medical Association conducted a meeting in Calabar a...
Abstract
Cervical cancer is the second most common and second most deadly cancer in Et...
ABSTRACT
Inventory control is one of the basic functions of every business; economic success of any man...
ABSTRACT
The research work aimed at finding the effect of oil spillage in the Niger Delta, the causes o...
ABSTRACT
The study examined the influence of family background on the academic performance of senior se...
The Nigerian stock exchange (NSE) has been created to serve various function such as often of business guideline to top busine...
ABSTRACT:
This research investigates the role of audit committees in enhancing financial reporting cred...