Madrid. Korean scientists have discovered a way to ‘season’ biodegradable plastics to make them more resistant. Just a ‘pinch’ of tartaric acid or citric acid is enough.
To help reduce the amount of plastic waste, some companies are adopting biodegradable plastics that eventually fall apart. However, it is often the case that the more easily these materials disintegrate, the weaker they are, breaking at the slightest pressure. One solution could be to sprinkle additives, similar to salt and pepper seasonings in the kitchen, to increase its strength and hardness.
Some researchers have used petroleum-derived additives, but they can slow degradation and are unappealing to consumers who want products made with natural, biobased ingredients.
So Jeyoung Park of Sogang University and his team wanted to see if “seasoning” a biodegradable bioplastic called poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) with fruit-derived tartaric or citric acid could improve the mechanical properties of fruit. plastic. They publish results in Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.
The researchers made seasoned PBS by first heating succinic acid and 1,4-butanediol with small amounts of tartaric or citric acid. They then added titanium(IV) butoxide and dried the products. In tests, the two new films stretched more than twice before breaking and let less oxygen through than pure PBS.
These results indicate that, unlike the original version, the new materials could be successfully used for bags or food packaging, the researchers say. In addition, the two experimental materials were stronger than many conventional biodegradable plastics and some petroleum products.
One possible drawback is that the new polymers with additives took slightly longer to break down in water than neat PBS over 14 weeks, although this could be beneficial for food packaging applications in humid environments. Since the “seasoning” method is relatively simple, the researchers say the new plastics could be made using current industrial processes, potentially replacing petroleum-derived polymers.
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