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Yadanabon University Research Journal, 2019, Vol-10, No.1

Preparation and Characterization of Biodegradable

Plastic from Corn Starch

Bo Bo Thet

Abstract
Starch is used in the production of biodegradable packaging materials as an attractive
alternative to synthetic polymers because it is a natural biopolymer and renewable source. In
this research, biodegradable plastic was made from corn starch to reduce the soil pollution
problem. For the production of starch-based plastic, glycerol was added for the gelatinization
of starch during thermal processing. Biodegradable plastic was made by varying the amount of
ingredients such as water (6ml, 7ml, 8ml, 9ml) and glycerine (0.25g, 0.5g, 0.75g, 1g). The
characteristics of prepared biodegradable plastic were evaluated by biodegradability test, water
absorption test, moisture absorption test and solubility test. Corn starch 1.5g, vinegar 1ml,
glycerine 0.5g and distilled water 7ml were the most suitable conditions for the preparation of
biodegradable plastic.
Keywords: packaging materials, biopolymer, corn starch, soil pollution,
biodegradable plastic

Introduction
This is an increasing interest in plastics biodegradation because of the environmental
pollution. Plastics are mainly made of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, chlorine and
bromine are used in automobile production, space exploration, irrigation, agriculture, health
and other industries (Gautam., et.al.,2008 and Mohee R.,et.al.,2007). Generally 2 to 3 million
tons of plastics are used each year in agricultural applications (Mohee R.,et.al.,2007). Plastics
made from nonrenewable oil products last for thousands of years in our environment because
they do not break down or disintegrate.
Methods normally used to destroy other types of waste such as burning and burying
are not suitable for plastic destruction. When some types of plastics are burnt, they can release
dangerous gases into the atmosphere while burying plastics in soil cannot destroy plastics
because they are not biodegradable. Degradation at high temperature, such as in pyrolysis
(burning) tends to cause emission of toxic fumes. Plastic accumulation in the environment
thus creates tremendous problems for the world, presently and in the future. Environmental
problems caused by plastics include changes to the carbon dioxide cycle, problems in
composting, and increased toxic emissions. Stimulated by environmental concerns, scientists
are now concentrating on the ways to develop plastics that will be used more efficiently. Two
simple strategies are to “recycle” (reuse), or to produce plastics that will degrade when no
longer required. Degradable plastics are grouped by the American society for Testing and
Materials as: (a) Photodegradable plastics – a degradable plastic in which the degradation
results from the action of natural daylight; (b) Oxidatively degradable plastics – a degradable
plastic in which the degradation results from oxidation; (c) Hydrolytically degradable plastics
– a degradable plastic in which the degradation results from hydrolysis; and (d) Biodegradable
plastics - a degradable plastic in which the degradation results from the action of naturally
occurring microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and algae. The main environmental
disadvantage of plastic materials is that they do not readily breakdown in the environment.
Bio-plastics consist of either biodegradable plastics (i.e., plastics produced from fossil
materials) or bio-based plastics (i.e., plastics synthesized from biomass or renewable
resources). Therefore, production of bio-plastics with high degree of degradability has become
the best solution for the environment. Bio-plastics can be made from many different sources


Lecturer, Dr, Department of Industrial Chemistry, Yadanabon University.
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Yadanabon University Research Journal, 2019, Vol-10, No.1
and materials such as plant oil, cellulose, cassavastarch, cornstarch, potatostarch, sugarcane,
weeds, etc (Kyrikou J., 2007).
There are a lot of advantages that biodegradable plastics can cause such as increased
soil fertility, low accumulation of bulky plastic materials in the environment (which invariably
will minimize injuries to wild animals), and reduction in the cost of handling, e.g. bending or
stretching.
In this research, biodegradable plastic was made from cornstarch. Plastic made with
cornstarch will breakdown and not take up space in landfills. The objectives of this study are
to produce a biodegradable plastic film from corn starch, to reduce the soil pollution
problems, to optimize the process condition of the starch plasticized with glycerol, and to
evaluate its degradation through microbial activity in soil.

Materials and Methods

Raw Materials
The raw materials for preparation of biodegradable plastics include corn starch,
glycerine, white vinegar, water and color. Corn starch and white vinegar were purchased from
ATLAS Chemical Centre situated in Pabedan Township, Yangon Region. Glycerine and color
(Apple Green color and Tartrazine color) were purchased from]]Empire Chemical Shop”
located in Pabedan Township, Yangon Region.

Preparation of Biodegradable Plastic from Corn Starch

1.5g corn starch, 0.25g glycerine, 1ml white vinegar and 6ml distilled water were
mixed in a beaker and stirred continuously until the mixture became a milky white color and
quite watery. The beaker was put on the stove and heat was set. While heating, the mixture
was stirred continuously and it became more translucent and began to thicken. The clear and
thicken mixture was removed from the stove at the temperature of 85˚C for 3 min. At this
stage, two drops of food coloring were added as if necessary. Then the heated mixture was
spread on the aluminium foil or on the tray. The sample was dried undisturbed at room
temperature for three days.

Effect of the Amount of Glycerine on the Characteristics of Biodegradable Plastic

The plastic samples were prepared by varying the amount of glycerine (i.e., 0.25g,
0.5g, 0.75g, and 1.0g) using the same procedure mentioned above and the results are shown in
Table 1.

Effect of Water Content on the Characteristics of Biodegradable Plastic

The plastic samples were prepared by varying water content (i.e., 6ml, 7ml, 8ml, 9ml
and 10ml) using the same method as in the above section and the results are shown in Table 2.

Characteristics of Biodegradable Plastic

Biodegradability Test
Soil Burial Method
Different weights of plastic samples (2g and 3.5g) were wrapped separately in synthetic
net and buried in the soil at different depth levels (i.e., 6in, 1ft) for one month. The samples
were removed from the soil every two-week interval and the biodegradation level was
observed as shown in Figure 1.
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Yadanabon University Research Journal, 2019, Vol-10, No.1
Soaking in Water
The weight of plastic sample was measured and dried in a desiccator until the weight
became constant. Then the sample was soaked in water for three weeks at room temperature
and the biodegradation level was illustrated in Figure 2.

Biodegradation by Monitoring Carbon Dioxide Evolution Test

Approximately 200 g of soil was sieved to obtain the soil having a particle size of at
least 2mm. Then, 25g of prepared soil sample was added into the glass jar. The soil sample
was adjusted to pH (between 6 and 8) and the moisture content (50 to 70 percent). Plastic
sample (1g) and 20 ml of 0.5N KOH were also added to the glass jar. Then, the glass jar was
covered with the lid, sealed tightly and placed in the dark cabinet.
For the investigation of aerobic biodegradation of organic chemical in natural soil,
carbon dioxide evolution was determined according to the following procedure. The carbon
dioxide evolved was trapped by means of 0.5N KOH solution contained in the beaker. The
KOH solution was then titrated with 0.5N hydrochloric acid once a week for five consecutive
weeks and the results are recorded in Table 3. From the titration, the amount of CO2 evolved
and % mineralization were determined by the following equation:
Amount of CO2 evolved = 0.5 N of HCl solution × volume of HCl titrated
× 44 g/mol of CO2
% mineralization = g of C evolved/g of C in the sample × 100

Water Absorption Test

The weight of each plastic film was measured and soaked in water at room
temperature. After 60 minutes, the sample was taken out, dried and weighed. The water
absorption capacity was calculated from the final weight of the film relative to that of the
original film sample. The results are tabulated in Table 4.

Moisture Absorption Test

The samples were dried in a desiccator until their weights became constant W 1. These
samples were then placed in normal atmosphere for 24 hours. After that, the samples were
weighed (W2) and the percentage of moisture absorption (% M) can be calculated from the
following equation: The results are shown in Table 4.
% M = (W2-W1)/W1×100

Solubility Test
The plastic sheet samples were cut into small pieces of 0.1g. These samples were put
into10 ml test tubes containing 3 ml of a solvent (i.e., ethanol, methanol, petroleum ether, 10%
NaOH, water). The solubility of the samples was observed at both room and elevated
temperatures (60˚C). The results of solubility test are shown in Table 5 and Table 6.

Results and Discussion

In this work, biodegradable plastics were made from corn starch by varying the
proportions of the ingredients such as glycerine (0.25g, 0.5g, 0.75g, 1g) and water (6ml, 7ml,
8ml, 9ml). It was found that the viscosity of the prepared plastic is directly proportional to the
glycerine extent. The more the extent of the glycerine, the more viscous the plastic is. Drying
time is also varied with the amount of glycerine. The drying time is longer when more
glycerine is used. Also, the thickness of the plastic depends on the variation of glycerine since
more glycerine gave thicker layer and less glycerine made thinner layer. If more water was
used, the more translucent and more bubbles would be formed in plastics.
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Yadanabon University Research Journal, 2019, Vol-10, No.1
Among the prepared plastic samples, optimum product was obtained by using corn
starch 1.5g, vinegar 1ml, glycerine 0.5g and distilled water 7ml because it has less drying
time, no bubbles and good tensile strength. The drying temperature must not exceed 80˚C
because the boiling point of the product was 85˚C. If the temperature was elevated to 100˚C,
the plastic would become brittle.
The prepared plastics were dried in three days under room temperature with normal
humidity (28 grams of water per cubic meter of air). Under more humid environment, the
plastic would absorb more moisture. Since the plastics had tendency to absorb more moisture,
it would be better to store the dried plastics in air-sealed bags.
Figure 1 shows a significant reduction in the sizes of the plastic samples when buried
in the soil for two weeks and for one month. For the soil burial test, it was found that half of
the plastics degraded after two weeks and all parts of the plastic completely degraded after one
month. From the results of the burial test, it could be assumed that the prepared plastic
samples could be used without any negative impact on the environment. If the plastic was
placed in water, it slowly absorbed water, swelled up and broke apart into small fragments that
were readily digestible by bacteria after three weeks. The steps of biodegradability of the
plastic film in the water are illustrated in Figure 2.
In carbon dioxide evolution test, it could be assumed that there was the biodegradation
of the plastic samples due to the evolution of carbon dioxide in this test. Moreover, it has been
observed that about nearly 50 percent carbon content was transformed into carbon dioxide.
The prepared plastic sample (0.5 gram of glycerine and 7 ml of water) exhibited much
lower water absorption which indicates higher moisture resistance. Hence it is the most suited
plastic for packaging material application.
Solubility test showed that the solubility of prepared plastic samples was found to be
varied with the temperature and the type of the solvent used in this test. At room temperature,
the prepared plastic samples were not soluble in ethanol, methanol, petroleum ether but they
can swell in 10% NaOH solution and water. At the elevated temperature, they could swell in
the ethanol and methanol solution but swelling activity was higher in 10% NaOH solution and
water. The plastic samples were insoluble in the petroleum ether solution both at room
temperature and at elevated temperature.

Table (1) Effect of Glycerine Content on Preparation of Biodegradable

Plastic
Corn starch = 1.5 g Water = 7 ml
Vinegar = 1ml Color = 2 drops
Amount of
Sr. No Remarks
Glycerine (g)
1 0.25 soft, thin and translucent
good tensile strength, little viscous, no bubbles, thin and
2 0.5*
translucent
good tensile strength, more viscous, thick, fairly little
3 0.75
bubbles and translucent
low tensile strength, most viscous, more bubbles,
4 1
translucent and more thick
*the most suitable condition
The experiments were carried out at the Department of Industrial Chemistry, University of
Yangon.
Table (2) Effect of Water Content on Preparation of Biodegradable
Plastic
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Yadanabon University Research Journal, 2019, Vol-10, No.1
Corn starch = 1.5 g Glycerine = 0.5 g
Vinegar = 1ml Color = 2 drops

Sr.
Volume of Water(ml) Remarks
No
1 6 more viscous, thick and translucent
2 7* viscous, no bubbles and translucent
less viscous, contains fair amount of air bubbles and
3 8
translucent
soft, contains more amount of air bubbles and
4 9
translucent
*the most suitable condition
The experiments were carried out at the Department of Industrial Chemistry, University of
Yangon.

(a) (b) (c)

Figure (1) Soil Burial Test for Biodegradable Plastic Film
(a) Plastic Film before Soil Burial Test
(b) Plastic Film after Two Weeks
(c) Plastic Film after Four Weeks

(a) (b)

Figure (2) Biodegradation of Plastic Film by Soaking in Water

(a) Before Soaking
(b) After Three Weeks
Table (3) Biodegradability Test for Corn Starch Plastic Film
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Yadanabon University Research Journal, 2019, Vol-10, No.1

Sir. No. HCL (ml) CO2 (g) % Mineralization

1 5 0.0968 45.45

2 3 0.1408 45.44

3 2.8 0.1452 45.46

4 2.3 0.1562 45.46

5 2.2 0.1584 45.47

The experiments were carried out at the Department of Industrial Chemistry, University of
Yangon.

Figure (3) Volume of HCl Needed to Titrate CO2 Evolved from the Plastic Film

0.18
0.16
Amount of CO2 evolved

0.14
0.12
0.1
0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0
1 2 3 4 5
Weeks

Figure (4) Amount of CO2 Evolved from the Plastic Film Every Week
Table (4) Characteristics of Biodegradable Plastic Film
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Yadanabon University Research Journal, 2019, Vol-10, No.1

The
Biodegradable Plastic Film
Sr.
Test
No.
G1 G2 G3 G4 W1 W2 W3 W4

Water Absorbance
1 3.05 3.03 3.68 3.81 3.9 3.85 3.12 3.5
g(water uptake)/g(film)

Moisture Absorption
2 2.1 1.96 2.9 2.62 3.5 3.3 2.4 2.75
(%)
experiments were carried out at the Department of Industrial Chemistry, University of
Yangon.
G1 = Biodegradable corn starch plastic by using 7ml water and 0.25g glycerine
G2 = Biodegradable corn starch plastic by using 7ml water and 0.5g glycerine
G3 = Biodegradable corn starch plastic by using 7ml water and 0.75g glycerine
G4 = Biodegradable corn starch plastic by using 7ml water and 1.0g glycerine
W1 = Biodegradable corn starch plastic by using 6ml water and 0.5g glycerine
W2 = Biodegradable corn starch plastic by using 7ml water and 0.5g glycerine
W3 = Biodegradable corn starch plastic by using 8ml water and 0.5g glycerine
W4 = Biodegradable corn starch plastic by using 9ml water and 0.5g glycerine

Table (5) Solubility Test for Biodegradable Plastic Film with

Glycerine Variation
Biodegradable Plastic Film
Solvent
G1 G2 G3 G4
Tr Te Tr Te Tr Te Tr Te
Ethanol x s x s x s x s

Methanol x s x s x s x s
Petroleum
x x x x x x x x
Ether
10% NaOH s ss s ss s ss s ss

Water s ss s ss s ss s ss
The experiments were carried out at the Department of Industrial Chemistry, University of
Yangon.
Tr = room temperature x = insoluble s = swell
Te = elevated temperature (60˚C for 1 hour soluble) ss = more swollen
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Yadanabon University Research Journal, 2019, Vol-10, No.1
Table (6) Solubility Test for Biodegradable Plastic Film with Water
Variation
Biodegradable Plastic Film
W1 W2 W3 W4
Solvent
Tr Te Tr Te Tr Te Tr Te
Ethanol x s x s x s x s
Methanol x s x s x s x s
Petroleum
x x x x x x x x
Ether
10% NaOH s ss s ss s ss s ss
Water s ss s ss s ss s ss
The experiments were carried out at the Department of Industrial Chemistry, University of Yangon.
Tr = room temperature x = insoluble s = swell
Te = elevated temperature (60˚C for 1 hour soluble) ss = more swollen

Conclusion
Biodegradable plastics are one of the most innovative materials being developed in the
packaging industry. Companies cannot work fast enough to produce this highly valuable
technology. How widespread the use of biodegradable plastics will depend on how strongly
society embraces and believes in environmental preservation. There certainly are an abundant
amount of materials and resources to create and find more uses for biodegradable plastics. In
this research, biodegradable plastic was made by varying the amount of ingredients such as
water (6ml, 7ml, 8ml, 9ml) and glycerine (0.25g, 0.5g, 0.75g, 1 g). Corn starch 1.5g, vinegar
1ml, glycerine 0.5g and distilled water 7ml were the most suitable conditions for the
preparation of biodegradable plastic.
Large quantities of plastics are disposed in the landfills every year. It can be presumed
that the consumption of these bags will increase and the amount of plastic waste will increase
proportionally. It is necessary to address this issue furthermore and search for the most suitable
manner in which to treat this kind of waste. The same types of bags shall be subjected to
further testing, namely the process of composting in both laboratory conditions and real
conditions.
Acknowledgements
First of all, I wish to acknowledge my gratitude to Rector Dr. Maung Maung Naing
and Pro-rectors, Yadanabon University, for their permission to submit this article. I would like
to express my heartfelt thanks to Dr. Cho Cho Oo, Professor and Head (Retd), Industrial
Chemistry Department, University of Yangon for providing research facilities and also for her
invaluable suggestions and guidance during the research work.
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Yadanabon University Research Journal, 2019, Vol-10, No.1
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