Volume 64, Issue 3, 2020

Journal of Scientific Research

Institute of Science,
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.

National Conference on Frontiers in Biotechnology & Bioengineering (NCFBB 2020), JNTU Hyderabad, India

Production of Bioplastic from the Plant

Biomass
Anjaneyulu Musini*1, Aermala Sucharitha1, Lingampally Keerthana1, Zahoorullah. S. MD2, and
Suresh Babu Bastipati1
1 Centre for Biotechnology, Institute of Science and Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad,
Telanagana-500085, India. [email protected]
2 Atal Incubation Centre, ALEAP WEHUB, ALEAP Industrial Estate, Gajularamaram, Hyderabad, India

Abstract: Plastic has been a vital part of our life. Conventional scientists and the government authorities are very much worried
plastics are made from petroleum. However, disposal of these non- about this problem (Ezgi et al. 2015). To overcome such a big
degradable petroleum-derived plastic has threatened our problem the researches have worked a lot with obtaining
ecosystem. To overcome this, Rice straw and jute are used for different methods and finally brought a solution to it that is the
cellulose extraction because it is a challenging, cost effective and
bioplastic. Bioplastic are the plastics which are acquired from
promising for the conversion to produce bioplastic. Cellulose is
found in many plants, bacteria and seen in different varieties of
the renewable biomass sources like starch, vegetable oils, fats
fungi. Generally, jute fibres consists of around 59.8% cellulose, and microbial communities. Bio plastics were procured from
hemi cellulose 12% and lignin 11.8% and the rice straw consists of sugar derivatives like starch, cellulose, lactic acid etc. Bioplastic
around 40%-50% cellulose, Hemi cellulose 28% and lignin 8 -20%. are the biodegradable substances that come from the renewable
The present study deals with the extraction of cellulose from rice sources and can be helpful to reduce the plastic waste which
straw and jute fibres and conversion of cellulose in to bioplatic. affects the planet and also leads to many inappropriate gases
This research highlighted the production of bioplastic from jute which also affects the existence (Anggun et al. 2018).
and rice straw. Bioplastic is the best replaceable of petrochemical plastic.
There are many different types of bioplastics such as Polyacetic
I. INTRODUCTION
acid (PLA), Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) which is considered
Plastics are the most common thing used everywhere in the as consumption and leads to biodegradation in less volume. PLA
world for packaging, tables, water bottles, many electronic Production of all bioplastics results in lowering the
devices etc. Not only is that it also utilized in pharmaceutical carbondioxide emissions compared to the other conventional
products to the advance industry work. So, plastics have been plastics (Melissa et al. 2014). But the only problem with
used everywhere and it has led to many problems such as soil bioplastic is it too costly. To solve this problem researchers are
infertility, stop up in the water bodies and the worst thing is they working with many biopolymers, biobased products and now a
are not biodegradable (Bruno et al. 2011). All over the world day’s they are even using the biowaste like potato starch, corn
around hundreds to thousands of year’s people have been using starch, banana starch, newspaper waste, rice straw, cotton, jute,
petrochemical based plastics as it is produced in large amounts hemp etc. Plant and animal withdrawn the proteins like casein,
because it is cheap and easily available. People use plastic very collagen, gelatine and lipids which include cross link between
often and after use the plastic it is been sent into the garbage and the triglycerides (Logeshwaran et al. 2020). Here, the raw
here comes the actual problem that is plastic is non-degradable materials used are Rice straw fibres and Jute fibres where
which means plastic cannot be removed from the environment cellulose is been extracted for the production of bioplastic
and this releases out lots of harmful gases. Plastics can neither instead of other starch sources as they are extracted from the
be burnt or it can neither be degraded into the soil. Many edible sources.
Rice straw is scientifically called as Oryza sativa of the
*
lignocellulosic material. Rice straw has high fiber content and is
Corresponding Author

DOI: 10.37398/JSR.2020.640315
Selection and Peer-review under responsibility of the Program Chairs.
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 Journal of Scientific Research, Volume 64, Issue 3, 2020

the major food producer which is considered as livestock in Jute plant is belonging to the family Filiaceae. Some of the
India. (R.B. Singh et al. 1995). Rice straw is produced in high advantages of jute include good enclosing and antistatic
quantities worldwide (nearly annual production of rice straw is properties as well as having low thermal conductivity and
731 million tons) Asia 667.6 million tons, Europe contents average moisture retention. Jute is a product of south Asia and
nearly 3.9 million tons, Africa 20.9 million tons. More than 570 specifically a product from India and Bangladesh. About 95% of
million tons of Rice straw is been produced all over the country jute is grown worldwide and in that two south Asian countries
(M. Kapoor et al. 2016). Rice straw is used for the cellulose grow the jute fiber. A Jute stick is woody section of jute plant,
extraction because it is a challenging and promising for the which residuum as leftover after extracting bust fibre. By using
conversion to produce bioplastic, it is cheap and effectively these two as the raw materials cellulose is been extracted for the
grown. Rice straw is biodegradable and these are mostly rich in production of the bioplastic. Cellulose is an organic compound,
renewable materials. It has high cellulose and hemicelluloses with the molecular formula (C6H10 O5) n and it is a
content in it which can be hydrolyzed into fermenting the sugars. polysaccharide which consists of more than hundred to thousand
Rice straw production mainly depends on variety of cultivation, of β (1→4) linked D-glucose components. Cellulose is a straight
fertilization levels, climatic conditions, soaking, spraying and chain polymer (S.S. Shrirakshaya et al. 2020). Cellulose is a rich
sprinkling. Rice straw are rich in assets and their complexes organic polymer on Earth. Cellulose is found in many plants,
constitute low density, renewable nature and biodegradable bacteria and seen in many different fungi. Cellulose is extracted
attribute in which other complexes cannot match. Such complex from many plants like cotton, corn, hemp and many other plants.
substance has low water immersion and greater auditive When compared with the starch, cellulose is usually found in a
insulation properties, high internal bond strength and flexibility mixture with hemicelluloses, lignin and pectin. Cellulose pulp
and convolution strength, huge breakage coefficient (Rob maybe treated with strong acids to hydrolyze the amorphous
Bakker et. al. 2013). fiber regions, thereby producing short rigid cellulose
Some of the main advantages for using rice straw as the raw nanocrystals and few are 100nm in length (Deb Prasad Ray et al.
material, it is cost effective, flexible, and biodegradable which 2017). Cellulose is combustible. Incompatible with strong
releases out few gases like carbondioxide which does not affect oxidizing agents including bromine pentafloride, sodium nitrate
the environment. These are ecofriendly and are completely and sodium peroxide etc. Now a day, the biggest sources of
recyclable to form different products (Junjun Liu 2012). The cellulose are extracted from higher plants. Cellulose is seen in
chemical composition of rice straw includes on average 40 to plants as microfibrils and forms a structure which is strong
50% cellulose, 20 to 25% hemicelluloses, 15 to 20% lignin frame for the cell walls. It is arranged into fibrils which are
content in it and it also consists of minor organic compounds. adjoined by the matrix of lignin and hemicelluloses. Cellulose is
Rice straw is one of best biodegradable product and it is used as partially made up of crystals and they are mainly two types of
the raw material where the pre-treatment is done and the crystal forms, they are I α cellulose and I β cellulose (Wan et al.
cellulose is been extracted from it (Rob Bakker et al. 2013). 2009).
Here, another raw material is also used for the extraction of Cellulose is mainly seen in the combination with different
cellulose that is, Jute fibres. Jute is long, shiny, bast fiber and it components like hemicelluloses, lignin and lignocellulosic
consists of strong threads. Jute is also called as Golden fiber for material. The fragments of cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin
its texture, colour and high cash worth. Jute fibers are 100% acquired have different characteristics depending on the
biodegradable and they are recyclable and thus they are particular process conditions. Cellulose fibre is acceptable for
environmental friendly. Jute is a lignocellulosic fiber that is either papermaking or enzymatic conversion to glucose. There
rather a textile fiber and relatively a wood fiber (Duan et al. are even many types of cellulose esters which are obtained
2017). Jute is a very important agro-fiber which contains lignin naturally from cellulose by adding organic acids, acid chlorides
(lignocellulosic fiber). It has mechanical properties like low and anhydrides. From this one of the cellulose ester is cellulose
density, high tensile modulus and high strength by conducting acetate which is frequently used for bioplastic production.
the alkali treatment (delignification). It improves the mechanical Cellulose acetate is important esters of cellulose which are
properties of jute fiber (M.A. khan et al. 2009). The chemical acquired by reacting the cellulose with acetic anhydride and
composition of jute fiber includes cellulose content 64.4%, acetic acid in the presence of sulphuric acid (Fischer et al. 2008).
hemicelluloses 12%, lignin 11.8%, pectin 0.2% and was content Cellulose acetate-based polymers are used in making of various
is 0.5%. Jute fibers are obtained from two species of Corchorus, products like textiles, plastic films and fibers. Many different
namely C. capsularis and C. olitorius. A square measure of jute methods are done by many scientists for extracting of cellulose
plant consumes 15 tones of carbondioxide and 11 tones of from the cellulosic materials. Cellulose is one of the major
oxygen. It is extracted from the bark of white jute plant compounds which help the best production of bioplastic (Wan et
(Corhorus capsularis) (Duan et al. 2017). al. 2009).

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II. MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY E. Alkali Treatment:

The chemicals used are Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), Sodium In this step, 17.5% NaOH was taken and treated with the
chlorite (NaClO2), Sodium bisulfite (NaHSO3), Hydrogen powder for around 1 hour at room temperature. In this process,
peroxide (H2O2), and Sulphuric acid (H2SO4) are procured from the complete hemicelluloses were removed.
HIMEDIA Laboratories, Secunderabad, Telangana. Jute sticks
F. Acid Hydrolysis:
are procured from National Jute Board, Hyderabad and Rice
Cellulose crystals can be prepared from delifnifying cellulose
straw is procured from Moinabad, Hyderabad, Telangana.
by the process called Acid hydrolysis. This process is done
because acid hydrolysis mainly affects in dissolving the
III. METHODOLOGY
amorphous cellulose. So, in this step, 47-48% of diluted
A. Collection of Rice straw and Jute, Cut, Blend into Fine sulphuric acid (H2SO4) is treated with the rice straw and jute
Powder: which is digested at room temperature for three hours. It is then
Jute and rice straw are cut into small fragments and then washed with distilled water and filtration was done.
blended so as to obtain in the form of powder. Then the powder
was sieved to obtain fineness. The powder is then weighed G. Neutralization:
ranging from 5 to 10 grams for various trails. In this process the rice straw and jute fibres are thoroughly
washed with distilled water and are filtered. The p H is checked
B. Pretreatment with Distilled Water: simultaneously and it is brought to neutral for formation of pure
Jute and rice straw powders are washed with distilled water to neutral jute and rice straw fibres. Then the fibre is weighed
remove the contaminants and waxy matter. The powder is then where the cellulose is extracted.
diffused in 500ml for 10minutes at room temperature. It is then
stirred for 2 hours at 50ºC (Junjun Liu 2012). H. Conversion of Cellulose into Bioplastic:
Bioplastic composite is prepared by production of cellulose-
C. Delignification : starch composite solution by casting and evaporation process
Washed rice straw and jute was treated with 17.5% to 18% with the use of cassava starch and glycerol. 30grams of cassava
alkali sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for around two hours at 80ºC starch is suspended into 1000ml of distilled water at heated for
to 90ºC in the water bath. It is treated with sodium hydroxide to 15mins at 60ºC. Then cellulose solution is added slowly to the
weaken the fibre structure present in the raw material. Then the gelatinized starch and stirred until the cellulose is mixed with the
mixture was taken out from the water bath and kept at room gel. Amount of cellulose and glycerol is added accordingly.
temperature and it was washed with distilled water by filtration Then it is cooled and casted in the acrylic plates and air dried.
process. The film produced is peeled and kept in the zipper bags and
D. Bleaching: stored in desiccator (Isroi et al. 2017).
For the removal of lignin from the jute and rice straw
bleaching is done. One of the chemicals used for bleaching is IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
sodium chlorite (NaClO2) as it is the bleaching agent. 0.7% In the present study Rice Straw and Jute was procured from
NaClO2 was treated with jute and rice straw for two hours at a rice fields and jute plant stem. Then the raw materials where
temperature 90ºC in the water bath maintaining p H at 4. Then blended to fine powder. The fine powder was pretreated with
again after two hours it was taken out and kept at room distilled water so that the cellulose undergoes maceration. In the
temperature and was filtered with distilled water. Then the next maceration process, it undergoes dissolving of polar, non-polar,
step is antichlor the substances which where decomposed wax, carbohydrates, amino acids and other compounds present
particles i.e. chlorine based which are present in the substances in jute and rice straw. After pretreating they are stirred for
should not affect the fibre. So for that reason bleaching is done around two hours (Harrizul Rival et al. 2018).
(Melissa B Agustin et al. 2014). 2% of sodium bisulfite The delignification process was done by using 17.5% to 18%
(NaHSO3) was treated for 20minutes at room temperature and it sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to the raw materials and kept in
was washed, filtered and was dried. Then it is treated with 50% water bath for removing the lignin present in it and to weaken
hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) considering 3 to 6% of it on the rice the material. (Harrizul Rival et al. 2008 and Wan et al. 2009).
straw and jute fibre and kept for around 2 hours with Then the material was filtered with distilled water. Then the
maintaining the p H to neutral. It was then dried to a constant material was bleached with different chemicals for the removal
weight. By this step complete delignification was done where of lignin and cellulose (Carla Almeda Correia, Ticiane Sanches
the complete lignin is removed. Valera 2019). The chemicals used are the bleaching agents
which helped in removal of lignin and hemicelluloses. 0.7%
sodium chlorite (NaClO2) was treated with the raw material for
around 2 hours where the p H was also maintained up to 4. Then

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 Journal of Scientific Research, Volume 64, Issue 3, 2020

the antichlor was added to the raw material. The antichlor

substances should not affect the fiber so for that 2% sodium

Fig: 3 Cellulose extracted from Rice Straw and Jute

CONCLUSION
Fig: 1. Jutesticks In the present study, the cellulose was extracted from the rice
straw and jute and it was then converted into bioplastic.
However, we need to characterize cellulose and the bio plastic
product.

ACKNOWLEGMENT
We thank the JNTUH authorities for providing the laboratory
facilities.

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