EVALUATION OF PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THERMOPRESSING BIOPLASTICS MADE FROM CASSAVA FLOUR

Abstract

Technological innovations in plastics made from renewable resources require knowledge of their properties and functional characteristics to identify their qualities and competitive advantages over materials made from nonrenewable resources. This report aims to study, the behavior of the mechanical properties, density and color (L* a* and b*) of bioplastics made from gelatinized cassava flour of variety MPER-183, reinforced with fique fiber. Bioplastics were obtained by compression molding technique by varying the pressure (0, 20 and 40 psi) and temperature (180, 190 and 200°C). The variables temperature and compression pressure significantly affected (p<0,05) the mechanical properties, color and density of bioplastics, identifying conditions at 180°C and 0 psi pressure, as the most favorable for L * a * b *, high values of flexural strength, flexural elastic modulus and low density, while the temperature of 190°C and pressure of 0 psi, were suitable for obtaining higher values of tensile strength and tensile elastic modulus.

Keywords

• Flexion
• Color
• Density
• Biopolymers