Abstract
The present research aimed to obtain a bioplastic made of Manihot esculenta (cassava) and Ficus benjamina. For this purpose, the residual lignocellulose of Ficus benjamina was mechanically conditioned until obtaining a particle size lower than 180 µm. There were elaborated samples of cassava starch bioplastic as blank test (BPY) and samples of cassava starch bioplastic with lignocellulose proportions of 12.59% (BPL5), 17.65% (BPL6) and 22.22% (BPL7). The average results of tensile strength evaluation of the BPY, BPL5, BPL6 and BPL7 samples were 9.9, 14.6, 14.8 and 15.7 Kpa, respectively. The BPY sample provided a higher elongation percentage with an average value of 13.59%. As for the biodegradation by gravimetric method for 5, 10 and 20 days, better results were evidenced for the BPL7 sample, with percentages of weight loss of 17.45, 27.08 and 48.69%, respectively. Finally, it is concluded that the bioplastic based on cassava and Ficus benjamina could be established as a favorable ecological alternative to be used in food products due to its good properties of resistance and favorable biodegradation.
