Preparation of Starch from Arrowroot (Hasan, 2018)

The arrowroot tubers were washed with water then it was dried at room temperature.

After that, it was ground using a grinder until it became mushy. We let it deposit for 2 hours in a

colander covered with fine cloth to filter the starch. The wet starch deposition was then dried in

an oven at 70oC for 30 minutes to obtain the bioplastic feedstock.

Extraction of Chitosan from Golden Apple Snail Shell (Kaewboonruang, 2016)

The snails were washed with water then boiled to separate the meat from the shells. The

shells were dried under the sun for one day. It was then baked in a hot air oven at 100 oC for 1

hour and was ground using a blender to obtain its powdered form. The shell powder underwent

the following processes: (a) deproteinization; (b) demineralization; (c) deacetylation.

a. Deproteinization

The deproteinization was carried out using 2M NaOH with ratio of 20 ml:1g

(w/v) at room temperature for 2 hours using a mechanical stirrer. The deproteinized

product was collected and washed with water until it has a neutral pH (pH=7).

b. Demineralization

The demineralization was carried out with diluted 2M HCl solution with ratio of

20 ml:1g (w/v) at room temperature for 2 h using a mechanical stirrer. The product was

washed to neutrality under water and filtered water.

c. Deacetylation

The product was deacetylated with 50% NaOH in a ratio of 20 ml:1g (w/v) at a

high temperature of 140oC. The treatment was carried out for 2 hours using a mechanical

stirrer. It was rinsed with water until it has a neutral pH. Then, it was boiled for another 4

hours, and was filtered again. The deacetylated product was then dried in an oven at

100oC for 1 hour.

Bioplastic Synthesis

Bioplastic synthesis was performed by weighing chitosan and starch in varying percent

composition of mass (100-0, 25-75, 50-50, and 75-25). The chitosan was dissolved into 10 ml of

5% acetic acid (Hasan, 2018) while being stirred manually on a hotplate at 60 degree Celsius,

meanwhile, the arrowroot starch was being dissolved in a 60 ml distilled water using a magnetic

stirrer. Both solutions with the predetermined composition of five setups were mixed in a beaker

and after 15 minutes, 5 ml of castor oil was added. The solution was heated on a stove at low

heat, and when the sample began to form a gel, it was poured into the mold and dried over the

hotplate at 75 ° C until all the solvents evaporated, and plastic films are obtained.