Caracterización mecánica de un biopolímero a partir del almidón del camote y celulosa de brócoli obtenido mediante mezclas DOE

Abstract

Currently, the environmental impact of sudden climate changes is considered relevant, giving rise to the concept of creating environmentally friendly products, giving way to biodegradable materials, which seek to reduce waste, create new renewable materials, among other ideals, with the help of technological advances. The experimental project focused on the mechanical characterization of a biopolymer seeking to optimize its properties for potential applications; through a design of experiments (DOE), different combinations of sweet potato starch and cellulose were explored to determine the influence of their proportions on the mechanical properties of the material. It was planned in three main stages: extraction to ensure the quality of the raw materials; analysis of the influence of the different proportions of the components on the tensile strength, elastic modulus, toughness, hardness and elongation at break of the biopolymer through statistical analysis; and the precise characterization of the mechanical properties of the material according to current standards. As a result, the present work proposed that first the relationship between the composition of the biopolymer and its mechanical properties must be determined, then the three best combinations of starch and cellulose should be identified to obtain the desired characteristics, which will contribute to the development of biopolymers with controlled mechanical properties, offering an ecological and sustainable alternative, opening new possibilities for its application in various sectors, with these results it can be used in the development of disposable products, contributing with one more alternative to safeguard the planet.