Synthesis of Bioplastics from Banana Peel

Abstract

The term plastic is derived from Greek word Plastikos which means ‘to mould’. Plasticscan be pressed, mouldedand bent into various shapes such as containers, pipes, tubes,etc. Plastics have a wide range of synthetic and semi-synthetic materials which hashuge application for commercial purposes. The plastics are made from fossil fuels suchas coal, natural gas, and crude oil. Because of its low density, transparency,toughness, low cost, and impermeable to water, plastics are used all over the world forvarious purposes. It has become an integral part of our daily lives. It is non-degradable;it sticks in the environment for ages and produces toxins that result in the emission ofgreenhouse gases like CO 2 etc., which is the major cause of global warming.Manufacturing Bioplastics is a better alternative and eco-friendly way to overcome allthese problems. The objective of this study is to synthesize Bioplastics from bananapeel which serves as an alternative to petroleum-based plastics. The Biodegradability ofthe bioplastics was also studied. The solubility test and swelling’s test were carried outto check whether the bioplastics retain their original properties, persistence, andtolerance to various solvents. Hence the bioplastic produced can be used for variouscommercial purposes