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Chemical modification of avocado seeds for the bioplastics production

Abstract:

Chemical modification of avocado seeds for the bioplastics production. Chemical modification of starches is a widely used procedure. In this study, the esterification of starch extracted from avocado seeds (Persea americana) was carried out, characterized, and used to obtain a bioplastic by the casting method. Three plasticizers were used (polyvinyl alcohol, glycerol, and sorbitol), water, and a 15% (m/v) NaOH solution. A total of 27 preliminary formulations making to verify the formation of bioplastic, and from there, 5 g of starch, 4 mL of distilled water, 4 mL of NaOH solution, and 2 g of plasticizer were used as an experimental unit. The best results in terms of humidity and permeability to water vapor showed the material where sorbitol was used, with 5% and 397.80 g/cm².day, respectively. The bioplastic that was plasticized with glycerol exhibited better mechanical properties than the rest evaluated, with 0.33 MPa of stress, deformation of 25.40%, and biodegradability of 54.34% concerning weight loss.