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Lubis M, Harahap MB, Ginting MHS, Maysarah S, Gana A. 2018. Short Communication: The effect of ethylene glycol as plasticizer against mechanical properties of bioplastic originated from jackfruit seed starch and cocoa pod husk. Nusantara Bioscience 10: 76-80. The addition of elasticity of bioplastic from jackfruit seed starch reinforced with cacao pod husk was studied using ethylene glycol as plasticizer. This study aimed to investigate the effect of addition of ethylene glycol as plasticizer against mechanical properties of bioplastic from jackfruit seed starch and cacao pod husk. Bioplastic was made by casting method at temperature 88.1 ̊C with ratios of cacao pod husk as fillers and jackfruit seed as starch were 9:1, 8:2, 7:3, 6:4, and 5:5 (w/v). The variations of ethylene glycol were from 0.2 (v/w) to 0.4 (v/w). The result showed that ethylene glycol could increase the mechanical properties of bioplastic. The best condition of bioplastic was achieved at ratio 7:3 in addition of ethylene glycol was 0.2 (v/w) with tensile strength of 15.40 MPa and elongation at break 2.39%. The result of FT-IR analysis indicated that bioplastics consisted of O-H group, C-H group, C=O group and C-O group. The SEM images demonstrated the bioplastic with cacao pod husk as filler and ethylene glycol as plasticizer had the fracture surfaces with the compact structure compared to that bioplastic without fillers.

Bioplastic is environmentally friendly plastic designed to facilitate the degradation of enzymatic reactions of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. This research was aimed to obtain the effect of cocoa pod husk addition on mechanical properties of bioplastics included tensile strength, elongation at break, functional group using FT-IR, surface morphology using SEM and biodegradation. Cocoa pod husk is a filler in production of bioplastic research. The production of bioplastic method that used in this research was casting method. Variation of jacfruit seed starch and cocoa pod husk composition ratio were 5:5, 6:4, 7:3, 8:2, and 9:1 (w/w) and variation of ethylene glycol were 0,2; 0,25; 0,3; 0,35; and 0,4 (v/w). The best condition of bioplastic was composition ratio of jackfruit seed starch and cocoa pod husk 7:3 on addition of ethylene glycol was 0,2 (v/w) with tensile strength 15,40 MPa, elongation at break 1,24%. From the result of FT-IR analysis indicated O-H group, C-H group, C=O group and C-O group on bioplastics. The result of mechanical properties were supported by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed the bioplastic with cocoa pod husk as filler and ethylene glycol as plasticizer have the fracture surfaces were compact. From the result of biodegradation test, bioplastics was completely degradated within 14 days in the soil.