Study on the effect of Plasticizer (Propylene Glycol) on the properties of Glutaraldehyde Modified Starch

Corn starch is used in making thermoplastic starch because starch material is actually abundant, low cost and availability from agriculture crops that becomes an advantages by using it in making thermoplastic starch. Polypropylene glycol is the plasticizers that were used in this research and it is act as lubricants between polymer chains to soften the hard polymers. Thermoplastic starch is produce to replace the plastic productions that give many side effects to the environment and living thing. The research is conduct by variety of method to analyze the properties of TPS which are FTIR to study the functional group of TPS like hydroxyl, carbon and hydrogen, TGA to compare the weight loss to temperature and XRD is to know the crystallinity of sample. Tensile and bending were tested on sample to know the strength of TPS panel and biodegradability, water absorption, moisture content being tested to know the ability of sample to absorb water and decomposed. The effect of propylene glycol on the physical and mechanical properties of glutaraldehyde modified starch were analyzed by all the method and tests. TPS will lose it properties when exposed to moisture and disintegrates in water.