Comparative Study of Fruit Peel Biopolymer-based Composite Films

Overview

As single-use plastic pollution rises, bioplastic from renewable biopolymers offers a sustainable alternative; however, challenges persist in improving their mechanical properties. This study examines fruit peel powder from major plastic-polluting countries (China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, and the United States) to reinforce starch-based and agar -based biocomposite films and assess the impact on its mechanical properties (tensile strength, yield strength, modulus of elasticity, % elongation). The research introduces novel agar and starch matrices derived from fruit peel waste powder and reinforced with the same fruit waste material to prove that irrespective of the matrix type (starch or agar), increasing fruit peel powder grams (0 g. 2.5 g, 3.5 g, 4.5 g fr om pomegranate, oranges, apples, bananas, honeydew, cantaloupe, and pineapple) increases tensile strength, yield strength, and modulus of elasticity. To form uniform films, starch or agar powder was combined with vinegar, glycerol, and fruit peel powder. Testing with a universal testing machine showed banana peel powder exhibiting high tensile (0.04756 MPa) and yield strength (0.02924 MPa) at high peel powder concentrations due to effective adhesion within an agar matrix. ANOVA analysis indicated significant differences (p < 0.05) in fruit type on all mechanical properties and confirmed that increasing fruit peel powder grams improved yield and tensile strength, regardless of the matrix used. Although starch - based films exhibited lower overall strengths than agar-based films, their applications include cost-effective manufacturing and packaging. Future studies should explore degradation, chemical stability, and antibacterial properties for potential food packaging.

Competition history

• JSHS 2024 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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