Obtención de bioplástico a partir de la goma de las semillas del guarango (caesalpinia spinosa) para uso en el embalaje de alimentos

Abstract

The production of food packaging represents a great threat to the environment worldwide because the raw material used for its manufacture is not derived from renewable resources, so they are not biodegradable, also its annual demand continues to increase; therefore, the objective of this research was to obtain bioplastic from the gum of the seeds of Guarango (Caesalpinia spinosa) to be used in food packaging. The methodology implemented was the 2k factorial design, both for the extraction process of the gum and for the formulation of the bioplastic. A thermal-mechanical extraction process was initiated with 50g, by means of four treatments, which consisted of roasting and grinding the seeds, using roasting times of 30 and 60 s and grinding times of 90 and 120 s. Then, the result of the grinding was sieved to separate the husk, endosperm (gum) and germ. Finally, the gum obtained was pulverized. The gum was characterized according to technical specifications. The bioplastic was obtained by means of four formulations, where the composition of the gum and glycerin was varied, keeping the proportion of distilled water constant. The bioplastic was characterized through physicochemical tests, biodegradability and mechanical tests based on NTE INEN 2635. The gum was obtained with a yield of 18.96% with the T3 treatment; it also presented excellent organoleptic characteristics and great gelling capacity, a property required for the formation of bioplastics. The bioplastic with the best mechanical strength (75.33% elongation) was T2. The biodegradability test determined that the bioplastic decomposes 100% in water. In conclusion, the bioplastic made from guarango seeds showed sensory characteristics similar to those of a film.