Jakarta – The use of synthetic plastics has caused the problem of plastic waste in everyday life. It has not only become the source of pollution on land, but it has also resulted in the micro-plastic phenomenon in the oceans, where it causes carcinogenic effects on the marine biota.
The plastic waste cannot be decomposed by the micro-organism in the soil and the water for tens of years. Besides polluting the environment, the plastic waste can also affect the human health. Considering the fact, there is a need to develop plastics and packaging that are more environmentally friendly.
Generally, the conventional plastics used by the public in everyday life for packaging are made from the synthetic polymer, which is processed from fossil fuels.
Actually, Indonesia can use the biomass as the raw material to produce natural polymer, as alternative to the synthetic polymer.
Agus Haryono, a research professor and the head of engineering science research department of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), said recently that a research on the use and development of polymer materials from renewable and eco-friendly sources should be seriously conducted to help tackle the environmental problems. “The use of renewable sources for biopolymer production can tackle two environmental problems, namely reducing the wastes from fossil-based raw materials, and providing alternatives that are environmentally friendly and biodegradable. One of the raw materials for the production of the biopolymer is the crude palm oil (CPO),” he said.
Pliable plastics
The palm oil can be used as a biodegradable raw material to produce renewable plastics, which is environmentally friendly and safe to human health.
Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of palm oil, with total production accounting for almost 50 percent of the global production.
One way to increase the added value of palm oil is by processing its derivatives into bio-plasticizer, which can be used for development of greener packaging.
Plasticizer from palm oil has a number of good properties, such non-toxic, bio-degradable, heat resistant, light stability, renewable and environmentally friendly.
“Palm oil derivative compounds have a big potential to be used as bio-plasticizer for PVC plastics that are safe for health and environment,” Agus said recently in his research professor inauguration speech titled “Modification of Macromolecule Structure To Optimize Mechanical and Thermal Properties on Eco-Friendly Packaging Based on Bio-plasticizer Derived From Palm Oil.”
Based on the American Standard Testing and Material (ASTM), the plasticizer is a substance blended into plastics to increase its flexibility and workability.
The plasticizer is usually added to PVC to make it flexible and pliable in the process of making products of toys, flexible packaging, and blood bags.
Most of the PVC plastics used by the public are made of plasticizers based on fossil fuels, such as dioctyl phthalate (DOP), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). But such plasticizers are potential to cause migration of toxic compounds from the plasticizers to blood, certain medicinal fluids, or fatty foods.
Eco-friendly
Commercial plasticizers, such as DEHP, can be released from the PVC plastics to blood, certain medicinal fluids, and fatty foods. The DEHP migration to patients’ blood is detected during blood transfusion.
The DEHP and several other phthalate compounds are known to cause cancer disease in mice. But its expose in human being, whether or not causing cancer disease, is still under scientific research and discussions.
Professor Agus has managed to conduct a modification of the structure of palm oil components as alternative of plasticizer to replace DEHP.
The modification of chemical structure into the structure of macromolecule compounds will make various components of palm oil applicable for various functions with various favorable properties, such as packaging that is friendly to the environment and safe to human health. The good properties, such as thermal and mechanical properties, and biodegradable nature in the palm oil-based biopolymer, can be controlled maximally so that it becomes the favorable materials with high performance.
Based on research and innovation, the palm oil can be processed into the raw material of environmentally friendly biopolymer, which is expected to replace the conventional polymer raw materials from fossil fuels.
The bio-plasticizer derivative of palm oil, such as 1,4-butanediol dioleate (BDO), isobutyl oleate (IBO), 2-ethyl hexyl oleate (EHO), and isopropyl oleate (IPO) can be used as secondary plasticizer to reduce or replace DEHP plasticizer, which is a derivative of oil fuels.
The crude palm oil and palm biomass can be used as a raw material to produce biopolymer, bio-composite, and bio-additive. The right modification process of the macromolecule structure can optimize the production of eco-friendly packaging and coating.
Added value
Biomass waste of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) can be used as the raw material for bio-plastics, bio-composite, environmentally friendly packaging, and as raw material for coating materials.
Various components of oil palm trees and crude palm oil can be also used to increase the added value of the palm oil industry in Indonesia. Such application will also become a solution to the challenges posed by the European Union against Indonesian palm oil.
BRIN focuses on researches to increase added value based on the natural resources and local diversity—biology, geography, and culture, and to catch up in science and technology.
BRIN Chairman Laksana Tri Handoko said that its activities of research, development, assessment and application of science and technology, invention and innovation should be able to increase added value from biodiversity richness of Indonesia that should push up its economic growth.
“By pursuing efforts of increasing added value of its various commodities–including the palm oil, Indonesia will be then able to sell products of high value added, which meet Indonesian needs and are potential to be exported. Such efforts will certainly make Indonesia a developed country, increase public welfare and get out of the middle-income country trap,” he asserted. (*)
Source: antaranews.com