Addition of Taro Leaf Wax Substance to Biodegradable Plastic As a

Hydrophobic Component in an Effort to Reduce Plastic Use in the

Environment

Hanisa Cindrawati, Cantika Rayyan, Panca Cahya Utami, Yoga Aditya

Advisor: Rifah Ediati, S.TP., M.P.

hanisa.cindrawati@mhs.unsoed.ac.id

ABSTRACT

Biodegradable plastics is a thin layer derived from a combination of

lipid, protein or starch components. Starch is one of the most widely used
biodegradable plastics materials because of its abundant and inexpensive
availability. Starch-based biodegradable plastics have the disadvantage of
being easy to absorb moisture. The addition of hydrophobic materials to
the starch film can increase its water vapor resistance. Taro leaf wax is a
hydrophobic component tested in this study. Taro leaves have a thin layer
of wax that is waterproof. Extraction of wax substance produces a waxy
substance of 2.2% with the characteristics of being solid at room
temperature and melting at 1000C and dark green yellow in color.
Furthermore, the wax substance is applied to the cassava starch
biodegradable plastics. The results showed the characteristics of
biodegradable plastics with a length of 15.9 cm and a width of 5.5 cm.
Biodegradable plastics without taro leaf wax has a mass of 2.87 grams,
clear color, smooth texture, bubbly, and uneven with a water uptake value
of 16.03%, while biodegradable plastics with the addition of a layer of taro
leaf wax extract has thicker characteristics. With a mass of 5.34 grams, an
uneven surface, bubbles, dark green color, and a water uptake value of
8.43%. These results indicate that the addition of taro leaf wax has
hydrophobic or water-repellent properties so that it can reduce water
absorption in cassava starch biodegradable plastics.

Keywords: biodegradable plastics, water uptake, taro leaves,

hydrophobic, wax

INTRODUCTION packaging also aims as a place to

There are many ways to facilitate storage, distribution, and
maintain food quality, such as transportation (Rachmayanti,
packaging. The function of 2015).
packaging is to maintain the Currently, plastic packaging
quality of food, protect against is widely used. The use of plastic
contamination from external packaging that is difficult to
substances, and prevent physical decompose by microbes causes
and chemical damage to food. In the accumulation of garbage and
addition, the existence of causes environmental pollution.

1
In addition, plastics which are
composed of chemical polymers
that react with food can be
harmful to health, so packaging
that is safe for the environment
and health is needed. The
alternaitve solution is the use of
biodegradable packaging which is
film shaped. This packaging film
is commonly referred to as
biodegradable film. Natural or
environmentally friendly
biodegradable plastics are
derived from a combination of
lipid components, protein, or
starches called green polymers.
Starch is a type of polysaccharide
that is easily decomposed and is
widely available, and is easily
available in nature and at an
affordable price. In addition,
starch has properties that can
form a fairly strong layer (Winarti,
2013).
However, the manufacture
of starch-based film packaging is
still relatively weak in terms of
elasticity and resilience. Several
studies have shown that
packaging films made from starch
have a weakness because they
are hygroscopic or absorb water
which can accelerate the growth
of bacteria, so the addition of
hydrophobic materials is needed.
On the other hand, the use of
packaging films made from starch
requires further research to
obtain suitable formulas for
various food products by utilizing
starch with suitable
characteristics.
Therefore, the addition of a
hydrophobic (water repellent)
material to the starch film to
increase the water resistance of
the biodegradable plastics can
utilize taro leaf wax. Taro leaves
have waxy properties that can
hold water (hydrophobic) so that
they can increase the resistance
of packaging films produced from
starch. According to previous
research on packaging in the
form of bioplastic packaging
research shows that bioplastic
from cassava peel waste starch-
chitosan-glycerol has a water
resistance of 194.12% to
optimum water, while when
compared to conventional plastic
made from polypropylene, it is
still very far away with a water
uptake value of 0.01% (Setiani et
al., 2013). This shows that the
water resistance of starch-based
films is still low when compared
to conventional plastics
(polypropylene). Therefore, the
manufacture of starch-based film
packaging requires the right
formula, one alternative is to add
hydrophobic components, namely
utilizing wax on taro leaves, so as
to increase the resistance of
starch biodegradable plastics
packaging to water which can
extend the shelf life of materials
in starch biodegradable plastics
packaging.
The purpose of this research
are to knowing the characteristics
of the waxy substance in taro
leaves as a hydrophobic
component in bioplastics made
from cassava starch and knowing
the level of water uptake in
cassava starch bioplastics with
the effect of using taro leaf wax
as a hydrophobic component.
METHOD
The tools used in this study
include measuring cups, petri
dishes, stirrer, heating pan, oven,
beaker, scales, refrigerator,
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desiccator, reflux device,
stainless spoon, thermometer,
knife. The materials used in this
study were cassava starch,
plasticizer (sorbitol), taro leaves,
nhexane, silica gel, aquades.
1. Extraction of taro leaf wax
The taro leaves are cleaned
and air-dried for 1 week. After
that, the leaves were cut into
small pieces then the taro leaves
were prepared as much as 100
grams and refluxed with nhexane
solvent. The reflux process was
carried out at 60oC for 10
minutes, after that it was filtered
and the filtrate was left at room
temperature for 2 hours and then
put into a cooler for 6 hours. The
isolated wax substance is then
melted to determine the nature of
the wax substance by heating it
with hot steam.
2. Making of biodegradable
plastics
The preparation for making
biodegradable plastics begins by
using a sample of cassava or
tapioca starch with a 5. Water uptake testing (water
concentration of 3% (w/v) or 3 g
added with distilled water to a
total mixture of 100 ml, then the
mixture is heated and stirred until
half forms a gel, added with
sorbitol with a concentration of
1.75 grams, stirred Until
gelatinization is formed. After that
the gel was printed on the
container, dried in an oven at
700C for 8 hours to dry or
approximately 2 days in the open.
Then stored in a plastic container
containing silica gel.
3. Coating biodegradable
plastics with taro leaf wax
The film coating process is
carried out by melting 2 g of the
extracted taro leaf wax which is
added to 15 ml (1 tbsp) of oil.
After that, it is smeared on
biodegradable plastics until
evenly distributed and allowed to
stand so that the wax coating can
adhere perfectly to the film.
4. Mechanical Properties Testing
Testing of mechanical
properties of biodegradable
plastics includes tensile strength
test, elongation test, and elasticity
test. The results of the tensile
strength test are obtained from
the division of the stress force by
the cross-sectional area with the
formula t = F/A. The method used
is an approximation method
where the film is stretched on two
pieces and given a load. The
elongation test (elongation) is
obtained in the same way as the
tensile strength test and is
expressed as a percentage with
the equation e = dl/l0, while
elasticity is the result of the
comparison of tensile strength
with elongation, with the equation
E = t/e.
absorption)
The water uptake test was
carried out by measuring the
initial weight of the sample (Wo)
which was inserted into a
container containing aquadest for
10 seconds. The sample was
removed from the container
containing distilled water and the
water on the surface of the film
was removed with a tissue, after
which it was weighed. The
sample was put back into the
container containing distilled
water for 10 seconds. Then the
sample is removed from the
container and weighed again.
Soaking and weighing were
carried out until a constant final
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weight was obtained. The formula
used for testing water uptake:
W−Wo
Water uptake (%) = Wo × 100%
Where:
w = weight of wet biodegradable
plastics
wo = weight of dry biodegradable
plastics
6. Data analysis
Data analysis in this study
was carried out by making
biodegradable plastics made from
cassava starch according to the
formulation in previous studies
which added a formulation of taro
leaf wax extract, then carried out
a water uptake test and
mechanical properties test
(tensile strength, elongation, and
elasticity). On the biodegradable
plastics of cassava starch
produced. The results obtained
are then analyzed and compared
with existing research.
DATA AND DISCUSSION
Extraction of taro leaf wax
Taro leaves contain lots of
protein and other higher plants.
This leaf has water-repellent
properties and is classified as a
hydrophobic material. This
material surface phenomenon is
called the lotus leaf effect which
is an important part of the self-
cleaning mechanism of the
surface of hydrophobic materials.
Even if the plant grows in a
muddy area, the leaf surface like
this will remain clean. The
waterproof performance comes
mainly from the waxy layer
covering the surface of the
stratum corneum (cuticle).
Figure 1. Taro leaves.
Taro leaves have
mechanical properties similar to
lotus leaves. Lotus leaves and
taro leaves have micro and nano-
sized protrusions, and the surface
is coated with a water-repellent
wax containing hydrocarbon
molecules where this thin layer
makes the leaves relatively light.
This leaf structure causes liquids
such as water to tend to bounce
or roll on the leaf surface. The
research shows how to use taro
leaf extract mixed with basic
ingredients (in this case
biodegradable plastics cassava
starch) to take advantage of its
hydrophobic properties. If it is
only needed as a surface coating,
then a mixture of taro leaf wax
extraction can be done by
spraying it on the surface of the
object (Rubiono et al., 2020). In
one study, revealed electron
microscopic images of the
surface of taro leaves having a
two-level microstructure like a
honeycomb. The study found that
the measured static contact angle
on the bioinspired surface varied
with and this variation was
consistent with the free energy
based model for droplets, droplet
movement was recorded on the
leaf and on the bioinspired
surface. The water droplets on
taro leaves exceed Weber's
critical number (We ~ 1.1) which
indicates that the water
resistance characteristics of taro
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leaves are extraordinary (Kumar
and Bhardwaj, 2020).
Non-polar waxes dissolve
well in non-polar (low polarity)
solvents. In the process of
extracting 100 grams of dried taro
leaves with 500 ml of solvent, the
extraction results were in the form
of a dark green solution in the
extract with n-hexane as solvent.
Then, it was deposited at room
temperature for 2 hours and in
the refrigerator for 6 hours, so
that the waxy substance
precipitated due to the difference
in the freezing point of the wax
and solvent, making it easier to
separate. The results of
extracting wax in the form of
powder are then filtered and dried
in a desiccator, which will then be
added to the process of making
cassava starch biodegradable
plastics.
(a)
(b)
Figure 2 (a). The results of the
extraction of taro leaf wax. (b)
Extraction of taro leaves when
melted.
Existing research on wax
from leaves shows that natural
wax is a lipid compound based on
FTIR results, indicated by the C-
H range of methyl and methylene
groups derived from long-chain
fatty acids. In addition, the
absorption of C=O and C-O
groups increases the presence of
fatty acid chains in lipid
compounds. The presence of
these fatty acid chains is believed
to give the waxy water-repellent
properties. Natural waxes not
only consist of long fatty acid
chains, but also combine with
secondary metabolites to provide
functional groups such as O-H.
The amount of leaf wax greatly
affects the percentage of the
mass of water absorbed by an
object's surface. It can be seen
that the higher the amount of wax
used, the lower the percentage of
water mass absorbed. The larger
the wax molecule, the thicker and
more uniform the wax layer will
be, so that the hydrophobicity or
water resistance becomes
stronger. The water-repellent
strength is the reason why the
surface becomes difficult to
absorb water, so it has a low
percentage of water absorption
(Ramadhan et al., 2020). From
the results of the extraction of
taro leaves that have been
carried out, it is shown in Figure
2(b), that the extraction results
when heated with hot water vapor
will melt and then harden again at
room temperature. This indicates
that there is a characteristic wax
in the extract of taro leaves. The
results of the characteristics of
the waxy substance in taro leaf
extract are presented in the
following table:
5
Tabel 1. The results of the nanoscale arrangements on the
extraction characteristics of taro surface of the leaves, this is the
leaf wax same as in lotus leaves which
can hold water. In (Kumar and
Bhardwaj, 2020) the wetting
properties of taro leaves do not
show conventional micropillars
(as in lotus leaf) and the
Biodegradable plastics morphology of taro leaves shows
cassava starch a two-level structure in the form
Based on the research that of hexagonal microcavities with a
has been done by dissolving 3 honeycomb-like structure.
grams of cassava starch and 100
ml of distilled water, then heated
until thickened and added sorbitol
with a concentration of 1.75
grams. Then in previous studies
that the greater the amount of
cassava starch, the higher the Gambar 3. Biodegradable
tensile strength of the edible, this plastics without taro leaf wax
is due to the nature of the coating.
biopolymer bond in the cassava
starch gel which is getting
stronger with the increasing
amount of starch. The greater the
amount of cassava starch used,
the greater the tensile strength of
Gambar 4. Biodegradable
biodegradable plastics with
plastics coating taro leaf wax.
sorbitol plasticizer. Meanwhile,
From the results of making
with the increase in the amount of
cassava starch biodegradable
cassava starch, the creep or
plastics, the characteristics of
elongation of the edible
biodegradable plastics in Figure
decreases and then increases,
3 are clear, slightly bubbly, and
but it increases its elongation with
the surface on both sides is
the addition of a plasticizer. This
smooth and uneven. Meanwhile,
is due to the general flexible
in biodegradable plastics with the
nature of plasticizers.
addition of a layer of taro leaf wax
Based on research that
(Figure 4), the characteristics of
has been carried out on testing
the film are thicker, the surface is
the surface of taro leaves against
uneven and wavy, and dark
droplets, in (Subagyo and
green in color. The characteristics
Muliadi, 2017) the surface of taro
of the resulting biodegradable
leaves has superhydrophobic
plastics can be seen in the
properties, which means that it
following table:
strongly repels water. The
hydrophobic nature (very dislike
of water) in taro leaves is due to
the presence of micro and

6
Table 2. Characteristics of extended to 16 cm. The results of
biodegradable plastics the elongation of biodegradable
plastics are used to determine the
elongation expressed in percent,
where the difference between the
final length and the initial length is
divided by the initial length and
Testing the mechanical then multiplied by 100%. Then
properties of cassava starch the tensile strength parameter is
biodegradable plastics obtained from the division
From the results of between the load and the area of
research on the manufacture and biodegradable plastics. The
characterization as well as testing loading in this tensile strength
the activity of biodegradable test is obtained by the approach
plastics from a mixture of method so that the loads of 60 g,
cassava starch, sorbitol, and taro 120 g, and 180 g are used. The
leaf wax extract that has been elasticity of the edible film is
carried out, then testing the determined from the comparison
mechanical properties including between tensile strength and
testing the tensile strength of elongation, in this study the value
biodegradable plastics by giving a of 3.2 x 10-4 MPa was produced
load on the film of 60 grams, 120 on edible film with wax coating.
grams , and 180 grams for 1 Based on the results obtained
minute, then the elongation was when compared with previous
measured. The results of research, namely Setiani et al.
measuring the mechanical (2013) with research on
properties of biodegradable biodegradable plastics breadfruit
plastics are in the following table: starch, chitosan, and sorbitol
Table 3. Measurement of have tensile strength of 16.34
elongation of biodegradable MPa, elongation of 6%, and
plastics elasticity of 2.72 MPa. Then in
the Unsa and Paramastri
research (2018) with the
formulation of banana cob starch,
sorbitol, and glacial acetic acid,
the tensile strength value was
Tabel 4. Results of mechanical 1.6455 MPa, elongation was
testing of cassava starch 21.607%, and elasticity was
biodegradable plastics 0.068 MPa. The difference in the
value of the data from the test
results conducted with previous
studies shows a value that is
Based on the test results quite far, this can be caused by
obtained, the biodegradable differences in the formulation of
plastics from cassava starch biodegradable plastics and the
without wax coating did not method in carrying out the test.
elongate, while the biodegradable
plastics with taro leaf wax coating

7
Water uptake testing
The water uptake test was
carried out by weighing the initial
weight of biodegradable plastics
without being coated with wax
and the initial weight of
biodegradable plastics that had
been coated with taro leaf wax.
Previously, 2 grams of taro leaf
wax was heated in hot steam and
then added with 15 ml of oil. Then
coated on biodegradable plastics.
Then, the biodegradable plastics
were dipped in distilled water for
10 seconds and dried with a cloth
or tissue. The experiment was
carried out until the weight of the
biodegradable plastics was
constant and then the mass of
the biodegradable plastics was
calculated with the final weight
minus the initial weight, divided
by the initial weight multiplied by
100%. From the results of
research on the manufacture of
biodegradable plastics from a
mixture of cassava starch,
sorbitol, and wax extract from
taro leaves, the following
characteristics and water uptake
were obtained:
Table 5. Test results of water
uptake in biodegradable plastics
Water uptake is the ability
of a material to absorb water. In
the manufacture of biodegradable
plastics, water uptake is used as
an indicator of the testing
requirements of the produced
biodegradable plastics for water
resistance. In Setiani, et al.
(2013) the thickness of
biodegradable plastics is directly
proportional to the water uptake,
the thicker the biodegradable
plastics produced, the greater the
absorption of water, and the
greater the concentration of
starch used, the value of the
water uptake is also greater
because of the tendency of starch
to have more hydroxyl (OH)
groups. So that it absorbs a lot of
water.
Based on the results of the
water uptake test on edibles with
a waxy coating of taro leaves, the
value is lower than that of
biodegradable plastics without a
waxy coating. This shows that the
results of coating wax are able to
hold water on biodegradable
plastics which have previously
been studied by Seitani et al.
(2013) with the formulation of
breadfruit starch, chitosan, and
sorbitol had a water uptake value
of 212.98%. Unsa and Paramastri
(2018) also investigated
biodegradable plastics with the
formulation of banana hump
starch, sorbitol, and glacial acetic
acid. The results showed a water
uptake of 55.31%. In the research
on biodegradable plastics that
has been carried out by Syahrum
et al (2017) with the formulation
of cempedak seed starch,
chitosan, and glycerol, the water
uptake results are 62.74%. In this
study, taro leaf wax was able to
reduce water uptake by 7.6% so
that biodegradable plastics had
resistance to water absorption
and prevented damage caused
by water absorption.
In the manufacture of
starch films, it is influenced by the
addition of chitosan, where as the
concentration of chitosan
increases, the water absorption
value decreases. This indicates
8
that the smaller the water
absorption value, the greater the
water resistance of the starch
film. The decrease in the value of
water absorption along with the
increase in the concentration of
chitosan was due to the fact that
chitosan is hydrophobic (does not
like water). Chitosan is insoluble
in water and organic solvents
because chitosan has a Alam, M. N., Halid, T. and Illing, I.
crystalline structure composed of
intramolecular and intermolecular
hydrogen bonds. When
compared with the International
ASTM standard, conventional
plastic made from polypropylene
has a water absorption value of
0.01% (Alam et al, 2018).
CONCLUSION
Extraction of taro leaf wax
yielded 2.2% wax with the
characteristic of solid form at
room temperature and melted at
1000C and dark green to
yellowish color. Characteristics of
biodegradable plastics with a
length of 15.9 cm and a width of
5.5 cm. Biodegradable plastics
without taro leaf wax has a mass
of 2.87 grams, clear, fine-
textured, bubbly, and uneven with
a water uptake value of 16.03%,
while biodegradable plastics with
the addition of a layer of taro leaf
wax extract has thicker
characteristics. With a mass of
5.34 grams, uneven surface,
bubbly, dark green in color, and a
water uptake value of 8.43%. The
results show that the addition of
taro leaf wax has hydrophobic or
waterproof properties so that it
can reduce the water absorption
of biodegradable plastics of
cassava starch.
RECOMMEDATION
In further research, it is
necessary to add concentration
variations in bioplastic coating
with taro leaf wax and determine
the right formulation for taro leaf
wax as a coating on starch-based
bioplastics.
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Pemanfaatan Pati Biji

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