Andita Nataria Fitri Ganda, Dewi Puspitasari, Anif Jamaluddin, Cindy Mutiara Septani, Ferly Isnomo Abdi, Nurlia Pramita Sari, Aji Nugroho
Banana peel is an organic waste that contains starch and is widely available in the environment. It is biodegradable and is a potential material for sustainable biopolymer application. Yet the mechanical properties are still limited. Therefore, in this study, we tried to overcome those weaknesses by adding electrochemically exfoliated graphene (ECG) nanoplatelets, enhancing the banana peel biopolymer properties. By incorporating 4 wt% graphene into banana peel starch films, we obtained a considerable improvement in mechanical properties, with Young’s modulus and tensile strength increasing to 135.02 MPa (from 23.13 MPa) and 3.74 MPa (from 2.07 MPa), respectively. Furthermore, the modified biopolymer exhibited a good water contact angle from 44.95° to 50.27°. The biopolymers retained their biodegradability, decomposing into small sizes after 6 days in the soil. This study demonstrates the feasibility of enhancing biopolymer mechanical properties and maintaining the biodegradability and eco-friendly biopolymer of the banana peel, by using ECG nanoplatelets. © (2024), (University of Tehran). All rights reserved.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Vocational Studies, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia; Department of Physics Education, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia; Research Center of Polymer Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency, South Tangerang, Indonesia; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politeknik Negeri Malang, Indonesia
