Avaliação da biodegradabilidade de bioplásticos à base de pectina e amido do mesocarpo do coco babaçu

Abstract

The increased production and inadequate disposal of conventional plastics have intensified the search for biodegradable materials obtained from renewable sources. This study evaluated the biodegradability of biofilms produced with pectin and starch extracted from the mesocarp of babassu coconut, analyzing the influence of formulation composition on thickness, initial mass, final mass, and mass loss in soil. The formulations were prepared with starch, pectin, glycerol, and calcium chloride, according to a Central Composite Rotatable Design, totaling 11 experimental trials. The biofilms were produced by plate molding, dried in an oven at 40 °C for 18 to 20 hours, and stored in an environment with controlled relative humidity. Biodegradability was evaluated by the soil burial method for 10 days, in triplicate, with daily monitoring of mass loss. The films showed good visual formation, continuous structure, flexibility, absence of cracks, and coloration ranging from translucent white to yellowish beige. All trials showed mass reduction, with biodegradability ranging from 47.5% to 68.1%. Trial 1, composed of 1.16 g of starch and 1.16 g of pectin, showed the highest biodegradation, indicating that thinner films with lower mass tend to degrade more rapidly. Trial 6, with 8 g of starch and 4 g of pectin, showed the lowest biodegradability, suggesting greater resistance of the matrix due to its high starch content. It is concluded that thickness and the proportion between starch and pectin directly influenced the degradation behavior of the biofilms in soil