The plastics that are widely used nowadays are synthetic plastics derived from crude oil and natural gas. Plastic is difficult to degrade (non-biodegradable) because it does not come from biological compounds. To be completely decomposed, plastic is estimated to take 100 to 500 years. Therefore, the use of plastic and the problem of plastic waste need serious handling.
In general, the handling of plastic waste can be done curatively and preventively. The curative waste management is carried out through the recycling process while the preventive one is carried out by developing alternative materials in the form of bioplastics.
One of which is Thermoplastic Starch (TPS) as a bioplastic material to replace petroleum-based materials. Currently, the use of TPS still has several weaknesses, including sensitivity to water and humidity as well as low mechanical and thermal properties.
The issue of developing and modifying TPS was discussed by Muhammad Ghozali in his dissertation in the Doctoral Program of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia (FTUI), entitled “Utilization of Palm Starch Waste and Tapioca Liquid Waste as Bioplastics for Flexible Packaging”. This dissertation was presented at FTUI Doctoral Promotion Session which was held last month at UI Campus, Depok.
Currently, TPS can be made from starch derived from rice, corn, wheat, potatoes, and cassava. However, these starch sources intersect with the people’s main food sources, so it is necessary to further investigate alternative natural starch sources that do not affect Indonesia’s food security. In his research, Muhammad Ghozali used palm starch (Arenga pinnata) as an alternative starch source.
“To overcome the weakness of TPS, it can be done by modifying starch chemistry, adding reinforcement, and mixing it with biopolymer. Chemical modification of starch can be done by oxidation method, and the addition of reinforcement can be done with cellulose fibers. Meanwhile, with other polymers, it can be done with polylactic acid, or in my research, with bacterial cellulose from tapioca liquid waste,” said Muhammad Ghozali.
TPS modifications made by Muhammad Ghozali showed an increase in density, tensile strength, viscosity, and thermal resistance. The combination of the in situ TPS modification method, the addition of Nata de Cassava additives, and the addition of PolyLatctic Acid (PLA) simultaneously will significantly improve the mechanical properties and increase the thermal resistance of the resulting biocomposites.
“From the results of Dr. Muhammad Ghozali’s research, it can be seen that the use of palm starch as a new starch source is very potential in the manufacture of TPS. The biocomposites produced in this study have the potential to be used as a single-use plastic substitute. It is hoped that in the future this research can be carried out more in-depth to overcome the weaknesses of thermoplastic starch in the development of alternative materials to replace conventional petroleum-based plastics,” said Dean of FTUI Prof. Dr. Heri Hermansyah, ST., M.Eng., IPU regarding this research.
Muhammad Ghozali earned his doctorate with a perfect GPA of 4.00 and a Cum Laude predicate. He is the 57th Doctor who graduated from the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering and the 478th Doctor at FTUI. The Doctoral Promotion Session was led by Head of the Dissertation Defense Session Prof. Dr. Ir Muhammad Anis, M.Met., with Promoter Dr. Mochamad Chalid, S.Si., M.Sc.Eng., and Co-Promoter, Prof. Dr. Yenny Melia, S.T., M.Sc. The Examiner Team consisted of Prof. Dr. Ir. Akhmad Herman Yuwono, M. Phil. Eng .; Prof. Dr. Ir. Dedi Priadi, DEA.; Prof. Dr. Ir. Anne Zulfia Syahrial, M.Sc.; Drs. Nofrijon Sofyan, M.Si, Ph.D .; and Dr. Asmuwahyu Saptoraharjo.
