Pengaruh Penambahan Polivinil Alkohol dan Perbedaan Rasio Campuran Ampok Jagung dan Tapioka Terhadap Karakter Fisik Biodegradable Foam

Abstract

Biodegradable foam is a packaging materials made from renewable resources which very prospective to substitute synthetic polystyrene foam. Starch is now dominantly use as a promising material to produce biodegradable foam due to its superior characteristic and availability. However, starch is preferable as food source so that an alternative material such as corn hominy feed can be used for producing this foam. Corn hominy is a by product of corn milling which has high content of starch and fibre which is possibly to improve the physical properties of this foam. This research is aimed to study the influence of adding PVOH and different ratio of corn hominy and cassava starch on physical properties of biodegradable foam. The corn hominy and cassava starch were mixed in rheocor mixer in 65 rpm speed at 90-100-90oC. Then the extrudat were expanded in a microwave oven at 100% power level for 45 seconds. The physical analysis result showed that the composition of corn hominy feed and cassava starch affected physical properties of biodegradable foam. The foam that consisted of corn hominy : cassava starch (80:20) gave the highest expantion ratio and water absorption index. PVOH also affected the physical properties of biodegradable foam which improved the hardness index of the foam. However, interaction between ratio of cassava starch: corn hominy feed and adding of PVOH does not show significant influence to the physical characteristic of biodegradable foam.