Bio-plastic from Yam—An Ecofriendly Prospective

Nowadays, plastics has become an integral part of the modern world. Its utilization in different fields is increasing rapidly because of its excellent “long-life” property. But the conventional plastics produced from non-renewable resources like coal, petroleum and natural gas need decades to degrade in nature. Biodegradable plastics or bio-plastics are form of plastics which are derived from plant resources and are “naturally” degraded. The present work investigates the extraction of the optimum quantity of starch and develops a method for producing bio plastic from yam (Dioscoreaalata). It also aims to access mechanical and physical properties of the starch-based plastic film. Tensile strength and percentage elongation plays important role in plastics use, so to prepare a plastic film that has good strength and which can elongate without fracture is desirable. Also, biodegradability test is evaluated in this work which is necessary for environment-friendly plastics. Optimum quantity of starch was extracted from a given quantity of yam by different processes like blending, filtration, drying. Preparation of plastic from starch overall follows a polymerization reaction but is divided into processes like plasticization, gelatinization, neutralization, heating, cooling. Hydrochloric acid and plasticizer (glycerol and sorbitol) play a vital role in plastic film preparation. Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) is used as preservative for the plastic after manufacturing.