CHEMISTRY INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

2020-21

TOPIC : MAKING A PLASTIC FROM

STARCH.
GUIDED BY: MR. MAHENDRA KALRA
SUBMMITED BY: ANUSREE K
CERTIFICATE
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
ABOUT
1. AIM
2. INTOTRODUCTION
THEORY
REQUIREMENT
PROCEDURE
CONCLUSION
RESULT
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Anusree K of class XII
has completed the chemistry project
entitled “MAKING A PLASTIC FROM
STARCH” herself and under my guidance.
The progress of the project has been
continuously reported and has been in my
knowledge consistently .

INTERNAL EXTERNAL
EXAMINER EXAMINER

principal
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my profound and
appreciation to those who helped me with this
project, for their time expended and for sharing
their insights about the project. I have been
immeasurably enriched by working under the
guidance and supervision of MAHENDRA
KALRA PGT CHEMISTRY, who has a great level
of knowledge and has an art of encouraging,
Correcting and directing me in every situation
possible, which has enabled me to complete the
project. I would also like to thank all the people
who have helped me in this project and appreciate
the available sources who provided me with the
research papers.
 ABOUT
Aim: Making a plastic from starch
Introduction : Plastic pollution is currently one of
the biggest environmental concerns. Synthetic Plastics
are made up of long chain of molecules (polymer)
containing repeated units of carbon atoms (monomer).
These Synthetic polymers has extremely strong
carbon-carbon bond with each other. Because of this
inherent molecular stability, plastics do not breakdown
into simpler components easily.
So to find the alternative of this problem I made a
successful attempt to make a biodegradable plastic.
We say it Biodegradable because natural organisms
are capable of breaking the material down into smaller
parts. We use starch polymer(Amylose) which is
biodegradable in nature and hence successfully
converted to replacement of plastic.
 THEORY

Why we chose starch?

Starch is made of long chains o f glucose molecules joined
together. Strictly, it co ntains two polymers: amyl ose, which is
straight cha ined , and amylo pectin, which is branched.
Glucose(simple sugar) is essential for life, that being the reaso n
many organisms from bacteria to human break starch into simple
sugar(glucose).
How it degrades into simple sugar?
Starch is a chain of simple sug ar monomers called glucose the
bonds that connect then are called glycosidic bonds an enzyme
called amylase helps break sugar part by fitting between two
monomers. A water molecule is absorbed is order to break the
glycosidic bond between two monomer s in a process called
hydrolysis.
 REQUIREMENT

1.Potato starch
2. Propan-1,2,3-triol (glycerol)
3.Hydrochloric acid
4.Sodium hydroxide
5. Spirit lamp
6.Tripod
7.Universal Indicator paper
8.Stirring rod
9.China dish
 PROCEDURE

1. Start the experiment by placing tripod over a Spirit lamp

with china dish at above it.
2. Add some water into the china dish. Note: If too much
water is used, the polymer does not so lidify and remains a
liquid
3. Then add starch little by little with continuous stir. Avoid
making air bubbles. Note: When starch is dried from an
aqueous solution it forms a film as a result of hydrogen
bonding between the chains
4. Add some HCl into the mixture. Note: After step 3
However, the amylopectininhibits the formation of the film.
The addition of hydrochloric acid breaks the amylopectin
down, allowing a more satisfactory film formation
5. Add propan1,2,3-triol in suitable amount. Note: The
addition of propan-1,2,3-triol has an effect because of its
hydroscopic (water attracting) properties. Water bound to
the propan-1,2,3-triol gets in amongst the starch chains and
inhibits the formation of crystalline areas, preventing
brittleness and resulting in more ‘plastic’ properties.
6. To neutralize HCl add some NaOH into it.
7. After you observe it forming like Plastic film or Vaseline
like gel lay it down to flat surface.
8. Spread it into long sheet of desired thickness.
9. let it dry properly for at least an hour properly.
10. Peal it out from the surface. And your plastic is formed.
 CONCLUSION
Thus we obtain a fair looking plastic. Things that could be
done better is to pierce o ut plastic properly once its
prepared and little food colour can be added for good
appearance

We obtained a Plastic piece which demonstrates that starch

can be used to make plastic.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
https://scholar.google.com/
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