Investigating and Enhancing the Properties of Biodegradable Polymer Cassava Starch with Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene by the Addition of Cardanol Oil

Biodegradable polymers are produced in a way to decay by the natural cause of micro-living organisms. Cassava starch which is a biodegradable polymer used for biomedical, packaging items. But the molecular weight is less than other biodegradable polymers. The aim of this research work is to investigate the properties of biodegradable polymer manufactured from cassava starch containing the combination of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), a non-biodegradable polymer with the cardanol oil, a bio-phenolic compound which is employed as the compatibilizer. They are blended with melt blending process using injection moulding. The use of cardanol oil in the mixture resulted in increase in the level of compatibility evidenced by increase in the intermolecular weight, and the results have shown the substantial plasticizing effect, increase of mechanical properties (tensile strength, impact strength and flexural strength) and increase in the intermolecular weight which will make from biodegradable property of ‘disposables’ to applications for ‘durables’.