Good news! I bet, we are close to inventing a new form of plastic that degrades better!
Note: The research study, on which the article below is based on, is not exactly new, dating from October 2023.
"... Currently, biodegradable plastics make up less than one-fifth of the total amount of plastic produced, and the processes needed to break them down are relatively cumbersome. ...
Seeking to create a composite plastic that would meet the needs of industry while also being environmentally friendly, the ... researchers decided to focus on commonplace, inexpensive source materials whose properties could be improved. They found that molecules of tyrosine – a prevalent amino acid that forms exceptionally strong nanocrystals – could be used as an effective component in a biodegradable composite plastic. After examining how tyrosine combines with several types of polymers, they chose hydroxyethyl cellulose, a derivative of cellulose, which is employed extensively in the manufacture of medicines and cosmetics.
On its own, hydroxyethyl cellulose is a weak material that disintegrates readily. To combine it with tyrosine, the two materials were mixed together in boiling water. When they cooled and dried, an exceptionally strong composite plastic was formed, made of fiber-like tyrosine nanocrystals that grew into the hydroxyethyl cellulose and integrated with it. ..."
On its own, hydroxyethyl cellulose is a weak material that disintegrates readily. To combine it with tyrosine, the two materials were mixed together in boiling water. When they cooled and dried, an exceptionally strong composite plastic was formed, made of fiber-like tyrosine nanocrystals that grew into the hydroxyethyl cellulose and integrated with it. ..."
The gradual development of tyrosine nanocrystals in a hydroxyethyl cellulose solution
A 0.04-millimeter-thick strip of the new biodegradable plastic withstood a weight of 6 kilograms
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