Thermoplasticization of Sago Palm by Acetylation

Abstract

 It has recently become evident that plastics derived from petroleum have accumulated in the natural environment and seriously affected ecosystems. This has led to the desire for the development of degradable plastics. Sago palms are planted as a food resource in Southeast Asia because they have a lot of starch in their pith. Because of their component characteristics, they could be a good raw-material for biodegradable plastics. This paper describes an attempt at thermoplasticization of the sago palm with some chemical modification.
 A chemical component analysis was conducted with a view to utilizing the sago palm as a new woody resource. The components of sago palm were affected by soil characteristics. In particular, the starch contents varied with soil type and growth stage. Thermoplasticization of the sago palm was done by acetylation, which is an esterification method. Thermoplasticity after acetylation was evaluated by making sheets on an experimental basis by hot-pressing acetylated materials. Furthermore, the thermal behavior of these sheets was determined by thermogravimetry analysis (TG) and thermomechanical analysis (TMA). The sample with the lower starch content showed higher acetyl content. The sheets made by hot-pressing showed thermoplasticity at 180℃, and thermal softening point of the sheet made from sago growing in peat soil appeared at about 150℃. It was suggested that thermoplasticity of sago palm could be achieved by chemical modification. As a result, it was also suggested that biodegradable plastics could be produced from the sago palm.