Pemanfaatan Selulosa Limbah Tongkol Jagung sebagai Material Biomulsa Ramah Lingkungan

Abstract

Limbah tongkol jagung berpotensi diolah menjadi biomulsa biodegradable sebagai alternatif mulsa plastik. Penelitian ini mengekstraksi selulosa dari limbah tongkol jagung melalui delignifikasi (NaOH 10%) dan bleaching (NaOCl 2,5%), kemudian mengevaluasi biomulsa pada lima formulasi rasio pati:selulosa (F1 100:0, F2 0:100, F3 75:25, F4 25:75, F5 50:50) menggunakan metode solvent casting. Rendemen selulosa kering sebesar 30,81%. Biomulsa memiliki ketebalan 0,20–0,25 mm, kuat tarik 2,45–7,35 MPa (tertinggi F4), elongasi 20–40% (tertinggi F1), daya serap air 20,91–31,73% (terendah F2), dan biodegradabilitas 13–32% selama 14 hari (tercepat F1). Setiap formulasi unggul pada parameter yang berbeda-beda, sehingga pemilihan formulasi optimal bergantung pada prioritas aplikasi. Proses ini berpotensi mengurangi limbah organik hingga 88,40%, dengan harga pokok produksi Rp13.479 dan harga jual Rp17.523 per lembar. Limbah tongkol jagung berpotensi dikembangkan sebagai bahan baku biomulsa ramah lingkungan.

Corn cob waste has potential to be processed into biodegradable biomulch as an alternative to plastic mulch. This study extracted cellulose from corn cob waste through delignification (10% NaOH) and bleaching (2.5% NaOCl), then evaluated biomulch across five starch:cellulose formulations (F1 100:0, F2 0:100, F3 75:25, F4 25:75, F5 50:50) using the solvent casting method. Dry cellulose recovery was 30.81%. The biomulch had a thickness of 0.20–0.25 mm, tensile strength of 2.45–7.35 MPa (highest in F4), elongation of 20–40% (highest in F1), water absorption of 20.91–31.73% (lowest in F2), and biodegradability of 13–32% over 14 days (fastest in F1). Each formulation excelled in different parameters, so the optimal formulation depends on the intended application. This process could reduce organic waste by up to 88.40%, with a production cost of IDR13,479 and a selling price of IDR17,523 per sheet. Corn cob waste shows potential as a raw material for environmentally friendly biomulch.