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Name: Group 3 Lithium Locker No.:

Co-Workers: Section: Chem 86L E2A2

Macrohon, Elynn Marize A. (5/5) Date Performed: Oct 12
Masucol, Jana Lou S. (5/5)
Ocho, Joli Andrea M. (5/5) Attendance:

Expt. 3 Bioplastic from Plant Starch

I. Objectives: Pre-lab data:

• Make bioplastic from plant starch. Observations:

• Investigate the effects of the additives;glue, sugar,
and glycerol to the properties of the plastic Analysis:
• Compare the strength of the samples through a
Conclusion:
tensile test
Performance:

TOTAL:

II. Apparatus: III. Symbols of Chemicals:

Glue (C4H6O2)n Stirring rod C12H22O11
Graduated cylinder Petri dish C3H8O3
Electronic digital caliper Beaker NaOH
Toploading balance Hot plate CH3COOH
Magnetic bar Watchglass
Food coloring Spring scale

IV. Procedure: (Note: Write schematic diagram at the back.)

V. Observations

1. Data Table I
Sample Additive Thickness (mm)
Qualitative Description of Width
Plastic Film (mm)

The plastic film for this

sample is green due to the
food coloring added, it is
1 Glycerol transparent, the size is 0.38 23.08
more compact meaning
less cracks on the dish, the
texture of it is smooth and is

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flexible. The plastic film was

easily removed from the
dish and was easily shaped
into the dog-bone template.
The plastic film for this
sample is pink due to the
food coloring added, it is
transparent, the size is
much smaller compared to
the one with the glycerol; it
has more cracks on the
2 Sugar 0.70 18.76
dish, less compact, the
texture of it is smooth and is
flexible. The plastic film was
easily removed from the
dish and was easily shaped
into the dog-bone template.

------
3 glue Do not answer -----

2. Data Table II
Sample Cross-sectional Area; Max Applied Max Applied Tensile Strength; Tensile Strength
thickness x width (m2) Force (lb) Force (N) 𝑭/ area (MPa)
(N/m2 or Pa)
1
glycerol 8.7704x10-6m2 1.11 lbs 4.94 N 563258.23 Pa 0.56 MPa

2
sugar 1.3132x10-5m2 1.78 lbs 7.92N 603106.91 Pa 0.60MPa

3
glue ----------------------- ------------------- ----------------- ----------------------- -------------------------

VI. Analysis

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POST-LAB QUESTIONS: Limit your answers to 3-5 sentences.

1. Of the plastic samples for which you have data, which was the strongest and which
was the weakest?
From all the additives, the data from Glycerol and Sugar data were only obtained.
The strongest sample would be with the sugar additive, and the weakest sample
is with glycerol additive. The sample that has a sugar additive has a bigger force
and cross-sectional area ratio which resulted to a higher tensile strength.

2. Suggest a reason why a dog bone shape is used for the tensile test? Name one
source of error for this test.
The sample has wider shoulders at the ends than the gauge section in the middle.
This is to ensure that the stress occurs in the middle when the sample is loaded
with tensile force. When the sample breaks in the middle, this accounts that the
sample reached its maximum tensile strength. Meanwhile, if it breaks on either
ends, we can conclude that the break was caused by improper loading or a defect
in the sample. One error could be having some invisible/unnoticeable
tears/ridges/defects that may easily tear the sample.

3. What other tests might you want to perform on the plastic samples before use in a
commercial product?
Before considering putting the bioplastic into market, there must be some tests to
conduct to ensure its quality. The samples should be test if it is soluble in water to
guarantee if it is waterproof or not. Another test would be considering its
mechanical properties like, impact strength, torsional strength, compression
strength, etc. Additionally, because it is a bioplastic, we should consider its rate of
degradation in various environments/conditions.

4. What are at least two advantages and two disadvantages of replacing plastic
products made from fossil fuels with products made from bioplastics?
Since bioplastics are made from plant materials it can be biodegraded, they are
also renewable and sustainable. Additionally, bioplastics usage would direct
petroleum consumption to other necessities like the transportation industry. On
the bad side, bioplastics are not that stable and durable compared to plastics made
from fossil fuels. Furthermore, bioplastics grow competition between bioplastic
industries and food manufacturing units.

VII. Conclusion

Bioplastic is currently a debated alternative to plastic since it makes use of plant

starch instead of crude oil for the monomers and can be designed to be

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biodegradable. Various additives contribute to the properties of the bioplastic made,

such as tensile strength, waterproofing, compression strength and many more. An
example of this is adding sugar which makes the resulting plastic more resilient to
breakage compared to having glycerol as an additive, as seen in the experiment.
Although bioplastic is a better alternative than plastic, it still has several drawbacks
such as increasing competition between bioplastic industries and food manufacturing
for land usage, as well as problems in disposal and composting.

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Schematic Diagram

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TENSILE STRENGTH TEST

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Computations for Data Table II

Cross-sectional Area; thickness x width (m2)

1) Glycerol = 0.38mm x 23.08mm

1𝑚 1𝑚
= (0.38mm x ) x (23.08 x )
1000𝑚𝑚 1000𝑚𝑚

= 3.8x10-4m x 0.02308m

= 8.7704x10-6 m2

or

= 0.0000087704 m2

2) Sugar =0.70mm x 18.76mm

1𝑚 1𝑚
= (0.70mm x ) x (18.76 x )
1000𝑚𝑚 1000𝑚𝑚

= 7x10-4m x 0.01876m

= 1.3132x10-5m2

or

= 0.000013132 m2

Max Applied Force (lb)

1) Glycerol = 0.5kg
1𝑙𝑏
= 0.5kg x
0.45𝑘𝑔

= 1.111111111 lbs

=1.11 lbs

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2) Sugar = 0.8kg
1𝑙𝑏
= 0.8kg x
0.45𝑘𝑔

=1.777777778 lbs

=1.78 lbs

Max Applied Force (N)

1) Glycerol = 1.11 lbs

4.448𝑁
=1.11lbs x
1

= 4.93728 N

= 4.94 N

2) Sugar = 1.78 lbs

4.448𝑁
= 1.78lbs x
1

= 7.91744 N

= 7.92 N

Tensile Strength; F/ area (N/m2 or Pa)

1) Glycerol = 4.94 N / 8.7704x10-6 m2

= 563258.23 Pa

2) Sugar = 7.92 N / 1.3132x10-5m2

= 603106.91 Pa

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Tensile Strength (MPa)

1) Glycerol = 563258.23 Pa
1𝑥10 −6 𝑀𝑃𝑎
= 563258.23 Pa x
1

=0.56 MPa

2) Sugar = 603106.91 Pa

1𝑥10 −6 𝑀𝑃𝑎
= 603106.91 Pax
1

=0.60MPa

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