The effect of glycerol on the properties of bioplastic from cellulose of oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB)

Efforts that can be made to reduce the use of plastic bags are by making plastic bags that are easily degraded in nature, namely bioplastics. One of the materials to make bioplastic is cellulose. Cellulose can be found in oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) which contain as much as 30-40% cellulose. The characteristic of cellulose-based bioplastic is that it can decompose up to 67% within 2-3 weeks. On the other hand, bioplastics must be added with plasticizers to create elastic properties, so glycerol is added. In this study, bioplastics were obtained using the solution casting method with variations in the addition of glycerol. The results showed that the highest tensile strength and the best water resistance in 0% (v/v) glycerol samples were 13.62 MPa and 30.31%, respectively. Meanwhile, the highest elongation and 5-day degradation were the fastest in the sample with the addition of 6% (v/v) glycerol, namely 8.06% and 90%, respectively. The results showed that the addition of glycerol concentration could decrease the tensile strength but increase the elongation of bioplastics. Meanwhile, the higher the concentration of glycerol, the lower the resistance to water, but it will accelerate the degradation of bioplastics.