Development of Cellulose-based Bioplastic from Corn Stalks

Felicia Alodia Marie Rentoy¹, Dinah Ruth Angot¹, Jimdel Ryu Mabaquiao¹ and Aris Larroder^1
1Philippine Science High School Western Visayas Campus – Bito-on, Jaro, Iloilo City 5000, Department of Science and Technology, Philippines

Abstract
Due to the abundance of corn available, there is also a large amount of corn residue. The study aims to develop a cellulose-based sheet from corn stalks. The cellulose-based sheet was tested of its density, tensile strength, and percent elongation, and was analyzed with Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) to determine whether it is chemically similar with commercial cellophane. Overall, the cellophane sheet was similar to commercial cellophane in terms of the functional groups present but was weaker in terms of its mechanical properties.