InfoSAWIT, BOGOR –Researchers from Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) fromDepartemen Teknologi Industri Pertanian, Fakultas Teknologi Pertanian, Sabrina Manora Indriyani and Farah Fahma, did research about nanofiber application from empty fruit bunch, as the reinforcement agent in the thermoplastic starch-polivinil alkohol (TPS-PVA).

Farah said, thermoplastic is the plastic that is continously softened by using heat and would be hard if it is cool. Starch is not the real thermoplastic but for there is material to make plastic, the heat and the mechanic process would break down the structure of semicrystaline. The condition might make starch processed to be thermoplastic

“Starch is the material in thermoplastic that could naturally degrade so it is safe for the environment. The additon of polyvinil alcohol, glycerol, and cellulose nanofiber as the reinforcement agents would produce composite film that is physically and mechanically good. The composite in general consists of two or more different materials, they are, the reinforcement, and the binder material, that is called, matrix,” she said.(T3)