Electronic Theses and Dissertation

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi pengaruh variasi persentase kitosan terhadap karakteristik mekanik dan morfologi fisis biopolimer berbasis rumput laut (gracilaria sp.). masalah utama yang mendasari penelitian ini adalah tingginya penggunaan kemasan plastic yang sulit terurai, sehingga diperlukan inovasi material ramah lingkungan yang kuat namun tetap biodegradable. metode penelitian melibatkan pembuatan biopolimer dengan delapan variasi sampel menggunakan campuran rumput laut, gliserol, dan kitosan (0%, 1%, 2%, dan 3%) dengan mdia nampan dan kertas. sampel diuji melalui pengujian tarik (tensile test), pengamatan mikrostruktur sem eds (scanning electron microscopy-energy dan dispersive spectroscopy), analisis kristalinitas xrd (x-ray diffraction), serta uji degradasi tanah (soil burial test). hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penambahan kitosan secara signifikan memengaruhi sifat fisis dan mekanik material. biopolimer dengan 2% kitosan pada media kertas merupakan variasi paling optimal, menghasilkan permukaan yang homogen pada citra sem dan derajat kristalinitas tertinggi sebesar 79% pada data xrd. secara mekanik, variasi ini memberikan keseimbangan performa dengan tensile strength sebesar 81,61 mpa dan yield strength 78,77 mpa. sebaliknya, penggunaan kitosan 3% menyebabkan penurunan kualitas akibat terjadinya aglomerasi yang terdeteksi pada sem. seluruh sampel terbukti sangat ramah lingkungan dengan kemampuan terurai secara total dalam tanah hanya dalam waktu 7 hari. dapat disimpulkan bahwa biopolimer rumput laut dengan tambahan 2% kitosan berpotensi besar sebagai material kemasan alternatif yang kuat dan berkelanjutan. kata kunci: biopolimer, gracilaria sp., kitosan, tensile test, sem eds, xrd, biodegradasi.

This research aims to evaluate the effect of various chitosan percentages on the mechanical characteristics and physical morphology of seaweed-based biopolymers (Gracilaria sp.). The primary issue underlying this study is the high consumption of plastic packaging that is difficult to decompose, necessitating an innovation in eco-friendly materials that are strong yet remain biodegradable. The research method involves synthesizing biopolymers with eight sample variations using a mixture of seaweed, glycerol, and chitosan (0%, 1%, 2%, and 3%) with tray and paper media. Samples were tested through tensile testing, SEM-EDS microstructure observation (Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy and Dispersive Spectroscopy), XRD crystallinity analysis (X-Ray Diffraction), and soil burial tests. The results indicate that the addition of chitosan significantly affects the physical and mechanical properties of the material. The biopolymer with 2% chitosan on paper media is the most optimal variation, producing a homogeneous surface in SEM imagery and achieving the highest degree of crystallinity at 79% in the XRD data. Mechanically, this variation provides a balanced performance with a tensile strength of 81.61 MPa and a yield strength of 78.77 MPa. Conversely, the use of 3% chitosan leads to a decline in quality due to the occurrence of agglomeration detected via SEM. All samples proved to be highly environmentally friendly, with the ability to fully decompose in soil within just 7 days. It can be concluded that seaweed biopolymers with the addition of 2% chitosan hold great potential as a strong and sustainable alternative packaging material. Keywords: Biopolymer, Gracilaria sp., Chitosan, Tensile Test, SEM-EDS, XRD, Biodegradation.