Brent Allen C Glorioso
Properties Of Shrimp (caridea) Shell – Based Bioplastic With Glycerol As Plasticizer
Introduction
Plastic waste is an environmental problem of great concern, and more specifically in the
Philippines, because the recycling infrastructure is not properly developed. Shrimp shells, with a
high amount of chitosan, provide an environment friendly template for biodegradable plastics
synthesis. Glycerol (as a plasticizer) improves the bioplastic flexibility by that (1) the water
retention and (2) the increase in polymer mobility. This work investigates the effect of glycerol
concentrations on the biodegradability, water absorption, and tensile strength of shrimp shell-
based bioplastics. The study aims to determine the optimal amount of glycerol necessary to be
added to bioplastics to achieve balanced characteristics.
Summary
15 ml glycerol bioplastic absorbed 16 ml of water, whereas 30 ml of glycerol absorbed 12 ml.
Increasing concentrations of glycerol led to increased extensibility but decreased the tensile
strength. However, one can see that 15 ml glycerol creates a harder, stiffer bioplastic that is
pretty well in equilibrium between the two variables.
Critical Evaluation
In this experiment, it is made completely well in illustrating how different glycerol concentration
affects several relevant bioplastic properties. Methodology was described that used the same
testing parameters for biodegradability, water absorption and tensile strength. But, it does not
consider the various environmental variables-such as fluctuating temperatures-which will impact
the speed of decomposition. Other plasticizers or chitosan sources may still allow for further
research to possibly be used to optimize the performance of bioplastics. Generally, the findings
offer a good basis for eco-friendly plastics, but further observations are required for wider use.
Conclusion
Shrimp shell-based bioplastics: These bioplastics offer a possible replacement to the use of
plastics made from petroleum. The amount of glycerol has strongly influenced the
biodegradability, water absorption, and tensile strength of the material. It was determined that 15
ml of glycerol led to stronger and more durable samples, while 30 ml of glycerol was rubbery,
but tensile strength was lower. For this reason, the percentage of glycerol will be a critical issue
in developing efficient bioplastics. Further development of materials with high scalability and
behavioral versatility is also required.
