Abstract :
The effect of microcrystalline cellulose from sugar palm fibers and glycerol
addition on the characteristic of bioplastic from avocado seed starch (Persea
Americana mill) was aimed to determine the most optimum mass and volume of
microcrystalline cellulose and glycerol in producing bioplastics.. Sugar palm fibers
was undergoing alkali treatment, bleaching process, and hydrocloric acid hydrolysis
before microcrystalline cellulose can be produced. Delignification stage carried out
by soaking the sugar palm fiber with 17.5% NaOH solution to produce ?-cellulose,
then ?-cellulose soaked with NaOCl 3.5% at boiling temperatures. Furthermore, ?-
hydrolyzed ?-cellulose in a solution of HCl 2.5 N to produce microcrystalline
cellulose. Bioplastic was succesfully fabricated through solution casting technique.
Bioplastics were prepared from avocado seed starch and reinforced with
microcrystalline cellulose from sugar palm fibers with composition ratio were 6:4;
7: 3, 8: 2, and 9: 1 (w/w) and using glycerol as plasticizer with variation of 0.1;
0.2; 0.3 and 0.4 (v/w of starch). Microcrystalline cellulose dissolved in a solution
of NaOH 5% (w/v) before mixed into the plasticized starch. The characterization
of microcrystalline cellulose include the characterization using the instrument
Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning
Electron Microscopy (SEM) are each conducted to determine the molecular
structure, index of crystallinity, and morphology of microcrystalline cellulose
produced. The characterization of bioplastics include the characterization of tensile
strength, elongation at break properties, functional group analysis by Fourier
Transform Infrared (FTIR), morphological analysis by Scanning Electron
Microscopy (SEM), and biodegradation testing. In this research, the
microcrystalline cellulose crystallinity index produced was 97.5% with a crystal
diameter of 25.08 nm. Morphologycal analysis using Scanning Electron
Microscope showed that the isolated microcrystalline cellulose from sugar palm
fibers are rod-like shape with diameter of 5.55-9.44 ?m and crystallite size of 25.08
nm. Mechanical properties of bioplastic were determined by tensile strength and
elongation at break. From the analysis, the best condition of bioplastics obtained at
comparison of mass starch-microcrystalline cellulose 7 : 3 and the addition of
glycerol 0.2 (v/w) for tensile strength of 2.74 MPa and elongation at break of 3.16%.