Synthesis and Characterization of Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Keratin Based Biofilm
Yusuf Wahyu Adi and Suharti Suharti
Department of Chemistry, Fakultas Matematika dan Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam, Universitas Negeri Malang, East Java, Indonesia
Abstract
As we know keratin is a structural protein. Keratin can be obtained from chicken feathers. At present, chicken feathers are one of the great potentials of waste because of its abundance and very cheap. CMC has a similar structure to cellulose. Cellulose has a very abundant amount in nature and its existence as waste and CMC and CMC is a derivative of natural cellulose polymers that are easily degraded naturally. This paper reported our preliminary work on developing novel composite biofilm from both natural biopolymer to provide novel environmentally friendly biomaterials. Keratin solution was prepared from chicken feathers by the acid method. Variations in the number of CMCs were used to see differences in bio-membrane rigidity. The size of keratin in the bio-membrane can be measured using a PSA. SEM and FTIR are used to see the presence of keratin embedded in bio-membranes. The homogeneity of keratin in biofilm is analyzed using XRD while its resistance to temperature is measured by TGA. With the presence of keratin as a sturdy fiber and CMC as a supporting matrix can produce biofilm that are strong and environmentally friendly.
Keywords: biofilm; CMC; keratin
Topic: WASTE AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT