MOISTURE ABSORPTION AND FTIR CHARACTERISTIC OF TAPIOCA STARCH BIOCOMPOSITE REINFORCED DRAGON FRUIT ROOT FIBER (HYLOCEREUS POLYRHIZUS) - Mochamad Asrofi; Hairul Abral; Anwar Kasim; Adjar Pratoto; Melbi Mahardika (Spektra: Jurnal Fisika dan Aplikasinya, 2018)
Abstrak Biokomposit dari pati tapioka dan serat akar buah naga telah berhasil dibuat. Sebanyak 0, 2, 4, dan 6% serat (dari berat kering pati) digunakan sebagai penguat biokomposit. Fabrikasi biokomposit menggunakan metode solution casting. Pengujian serapan uap air digunakan untuk mengetahui persentase penyerapan uap air. Gugus fungsi dari biokomposit ditentukan dengan karakterisasi FTIR (Fourier Transform Infra-Red). Persentase penyerapan uap air menunjukkan bahwa, film pati tapioka mempunyai serapan uap 21,7%. Hasil ini lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan film tapioka ditambah serat. Fenomena ini didukung dengan analisis FTIR pada gugus serapan air sekitar wavenumber 1647 cm-1. Pada daerah tersebut terlihat bahwa, film pati tapioka memiliki absorban yang tinggi dibandingkan film pati tapioka ditambah serat. Kata-kata kunci: biokomposit, pati tapioka, serat akar buah naga, FTIR, serapan uap air. Abstract Tapioca starch biocomposites reinforced dragon fruit root fiber was successfully produced. As much 0, 2, 4 and 6% fiber fractions (from dry starch weight basis) were used as reinforcement in biocomposites. The fabrication of biocomposites was solution casting method. Moisture absorption testing was used to know the percentage of moisture absorption. The functional group of biocomposites was determined by FTIR (Fourier Transform Infra-Red) characterization. The moisture absorption percentage of tapioca starch film was 21,7%. This result was higher than fiber-reinforced biocomposites film. This phenomenon was supported by FTIR analysis on functional group (water absorption band) at wavenumber 1647 cm-1. In this wavenumber, tapioca starch film has higher absorbance than fiber-reinforced biocomposites film. Keywords: biocomposites, tapioca starch, dragon fruit root fiber, FTIR and moisture absorption.