By: Haydar U. Zaman and Md. Abu Sayed
Low-density polyethylene, the material used to make most plastic shopping bags, has a considerable negative impact on the environment. It is enough intriguing for a substance to decay, develop for whatever reason (hydrolysis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, etc.), and be exposed to the elements. Sodium trimetaphosphate was used in this experiment to treat sago starch. Using additives (glycerol/urea, 1% benzophenone, and epolene wax) in the same amount of starch, sago starch was blended with low-density polythene in various ratios of 0, 10, 20, and 30% weight percent. The mixture was then compounded via melt mixing technique and injection molded to form sheets. The results demonstrated that as the starch content grew, the untreated composite’s tensile characteristics gradually lost their strength. In comparison to virgin low-density polythene, the loss of tensile strength and elongation at break was roughly 23.3% and 87.5%, respectively, with 30 weight percent of starch loading. In contrast to virgin low-density polythene, the treatment composite at 30 weight percent starch loading lost 17.3% of its tensile strength and 98.8% of its elongation at break. The low-density polythene in the treated composite had a lower percentage of tensile strength, but it was more elongated at break than the untreated composite due to the superior distribution and consistency of sago starch. Weight, morphological, and tensile characteristics were evaluated in relation to hydrolysis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and natural weather in order toto assess the biodegradability of this composite.
Keywords: Low-density polythene, sago starch, morphology, mechanical features, biodegradability
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