Compacted Dry Biocellulose Formulated from Xanthosoma Undipes K. Koch (Taro): Characterization of Physical and Chemical Properties

Ardiani, Septia
Rahmayanti, Handika Dany
Akmalia, Nurul
Jasmine, Annisa

Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA (JPPIPA)
Vol 11 No 6 (2025): June

This study aims to evaluate the physical properties of compacted dry biocellulose derived from Xanthosoma undipes K. Koch (taro). Three types of substrates were fermented using Acetobacter xylinum: nata de taro (NDT), nata de coco-taro (NDC-T), and nata de coco-taro-pineapple-tomato (NDC-TPT). The resulting biocellulose products were compacted using a hot press (5000 kgf/cm² for approximately 15 minutes at 120°C) and then dried at 30°C to produce solid biopolymer sheets. Characterization included thickness measurement, FTIR spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and SEM-EDX microscopy. Results showed that the cellulose chemical structure remained intact after compaction. The NDC-TPT sample exhibited the highest porosity and water absorption capacity, along with significant UV light transmittance, making it a promising candidate for biodegradable film applications and active moisture-absorbing materials. Microscopic analysis revealed that substrate composition strongly influenced fiber density and pore size, with NDT showing the densest structure and NDC-TPT the most porous.