International Journal of Academic Engineering Research (IJAER)   Year: 2024 | Volume: 8 | Issue: 3 | Page No.: 10-15 Synthesis of Corn starch based Bioplastic using Chitosan-Sorbitol-Glycerol blend Additives Download PDF Orlando Ketebu, Ebiundu Komonibo, Blessing Clement Jubri Abstract: Petroleum based plastics are used in packaging, domestic, industrial, medical and biotechnological applications are non-biodegradability, unfriendly to the environment, hazardous and toxic when burnt. This has made bioplastics from starch base materials suitable alternatives because of their ease of use, biodegradability and low cost. This research work synthesized bioplastic from corn starch using sorbitol/glycerol as plasticizers with chitosan to improve on the elongation, flexibility, rigidity and tensile strength of the plastic. The result showed that bioplastic synthesized using sorbitol/glycerol/chitosan/corn starch blend was transparent, flexible, rigid with tensile strength (16.75 MPa) and Young modulus (356 MPa) followed by sorbitol/chitosan/corn starch blend bioplastic with tensile strength (13.12 MPa) and Young Modulus (257 MPa) and the least properties from bioplastic synthesized with glycerol/chitosan/corn starch blend. These improved properties in sorbitol/glycerol/chitosan/corn starch bioplastic are attributed to the synergy between the sorbitol/glycerol blend which penetrated the starch/chitosan structure forming bonds that improved the rigidity and tensile strength of the bioplastic. SEM images corroborated this result and showed no fractures in the bioplastic with minimal rough surfaces attributed to starch not completely homogeneous. Bioplastic from glycerol/chitosan/corn starch had cracks due to the inability of glycerol to bond effectively chitosan/starch mixture at 20% concentration. Bioplastic from sorbitol/chitosan/corn starch blend had no cracks with smooth surface which is attributed to the ability of sorbitol to penetrate chitosan/starch structures effectively. FTIR analysis showed the bioplastics had the same type of functional groups with similar identical characteristics. Hydroxyl functional group (OH) was found at high absorption peaks of 3272.6 cm-1, 3276.3 cm-1 and 3272.6 cm-1 for the respective bioplastics. The widening of the OH groups indicate hydrogen bond formed between the blends Also peaks at 1636.3 cm-1, 1636.3 cm-1, 1640.0 cm-1 respectively indicated the presence of N-H bond from chitosan in the blends.