The influence of turmeric microparticles amount on the mechanical and biodegradation properties of cornstarch-based bioplastic material: from bioplastic literature review to experiments

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of turmeric microparticles amount on the mechanical and biodegradation properties of cornstarch-based bioplastic material. To produce the bioplastics, several steps were done sequentially: (1) dissolving a mixture of cornstarch, glycerol, and acetic acid in aqueous solution; (2) adding turmeric microparticles with a specific amount (i.e., 0.50; 0.75; 1.00; 1.50% (w/w)); (3) homogenizing the mixture at temperature of 60ºC; (4) molding process; and (5) drying process to get a solid bioplastic. Experimental results showed that the addition of turmeric microparticles could change the bioplastics strength as well as its biodegradability, while too much amount of turmeric may result in high strength but low biodegradability.