Publication: Biodegradation of natural rubber latex films filled metroxylon sagu pith waste by immobilised bacillus cereus
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Date
2020-09-01
Authors
Adzami, Nuraiffa Syazwi
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Abstract
The accumulation of NR gloves for biodegradation is occurred continuously at the disposal site due to the slow biodegradation process. The incorporation of treated sago pith waste (TSPW) in natural rubber (NR) latex films were prepared to enhance the biodegradability of the films. Bleaching treatment and ball milling were carried out to treat the TSPW as filler for NR latex films. The rubber-degrading bacteria is identified to monitor the biodegradation of films. Two types of system with freely suspended bacteria and immobilised bacteria through batch study were studied and the culture conditions were optimised. It was found that TSPW filled NR latex films showed optimum mechanical properties and good colloidal stability of the NR compound. Tensile strength and tear strength were recorded as 23.83 MPa and 63.87 N/mm. Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 (B. cereus) is identified to utilize these films as the sole carbon and energy sources. Granular activated carbon (GAC) is used as adsorbent to adsorb B. cereus. This system called B. cereus-GAC system followed Freundlich isotherm and Pseudo-second-order kinetic model. In 14 days of biodegradation, both systems show significant weight loss and mechanical properties reduction of TSPW filled NR latex films as compared to unfilled NR latex films. Thus, TSPW filled NR latex films and B. cereus have the potency to provide a biotechnological solution to the waste NR gloves disposal problem.