2023-07-20 15:15:37
We use plastics in almost every aspect of our lives. These materials are cheap to manufacture and very stable. The problem comes when we discard a plastic object because it is no longer useful to us: it can persist in the environment for decades and even centuries. Over time, plastic breaks down into smaller fragments, called microplastics, which can pose significant environmental and health problems.
The best solution is to use bio-based plastics that biodegrade. And it is already done, but many of these bioplastics are not designed to degrade in home composting conditions. They must be processed in commercial composting facilities, which are not accessible everywhere.
A team led by Hareesh Iyer, from the University of Washington (UW) in the US city of Seattle, has developed new bioplastics that degrade on the same time scale as a banana peel in a household compost bin.
These bioplastics are made entirely from pulverized cells of cyanobacteria, also known as spirulina.
The team, which also includes Eleftheria Roumeli and Mallory Parker from the University of Washington, used heat and pressure to shape spirulina powder into various shapes, the same processing technique used to create conventional plastics.
Mallory Parker of the research team holds up a bucket of bioplastic made from spirulina. (Photo: Mark Stone/University of Washington)
The UW team’s bioplastics have mechanical properties comparable to petroleum-derived single-use plastics.
The researchers chose to use spirulina to make their bioplastics for a number of reasons. Firstly, it can be cultivated on a large scale because it is already used for various foods and cosmetics. Additionally, spirulina cells capture carbon dioxide as they grow, making this biomass a carbon-neutral feedstock for plastics.
Spirulina also has unique flame retardant properties. When exposed to fire, it instantly self-extinguishes, unlike many traditional plastics that burn or melt. This fire resistant characteristic makes Spirulina-based plastics advantageous for applications where traditional plastics may not be suitable due to their flammability.
Iyer and his colleagues discuss the technical details of their new type of plastic in the academic journal Advanced Functional Materials, under the title “Fabricating Strong and Stiff Bioplastics from Whole Spirulina Cells.” (Source: NCYT from Amazings)
#Biodegradable #compostable #plastic #special #treatments