Evaluation of the production process of biodegradable drinking straws from corn kernel

Abstract

New product development is one of the most effective methods to expand the economic value of corn, which is currently a low-cost agricultural material. The present study was conducted to determine the production process of straws from corn under the laboratory scale, in which the influence of mixing formula, steaming time, screw speed, and drying temperature on hardness and expansion time of the drinking straws from corn kernels. In addition, the biodegradability of the resultant straws was also tested in the natural environment. The study determined the most suitable recipe for producing the drinking straw product, including corn flour (75%), tapioca starch (20%), rice flour (5%), with the addition of 0.5% xanthan gum and 0.2% potassium sorbate (w/w). The operating conditions of steaming time (10 min), screw speed (40 rpm), and air drying temperature (40°C) were found to be the most appropriate. For the decomposition study, the results indicated that the drinking straw product was capable of decomposing after 40 days at a temperature 30 ± 2°C. As such, it can be concluded that it is highly potential to build up the production process of the drinking straws from corn kernels that are environmentally friendly and ease of practical applications.