Inspired by the perpetually clean lotus leaf, researchers have developed bio-plastics for self-cleaning that are stable, sustainable and can be disposed of as compost * Not all bioplastics or plastics of biological origin can indeed be easily decomposed
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Researchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia have been able to develop a plastic that repels liquids and dirt – just like the leaves of the lotus plant, and in addition, it decomposes quickly once it is buried in the ground. The researchers, who published their research findings in the scientific journalScience of the Total EnvironmentSay that innovative bio-plastics are ideal for packing fresh food and food deliveries.
“Plastic waste is one of the biggest environmental challenges, but the alternatives it is developing today need to be both environmentally friendly and inexpensive, in order to make these alternatives common,” said the lead researcher. “We have developed our innovative bio-plastics with the aim of also producing it on a large, commercial scale, while ensuring that its production will be simple while making a product that will be easy to integrate into existing industrial production processes.”
The researchers explain that nature is replete with many ingeniously designed structures that can inspire researchers interested in developing high-performance, high-performance materials. “We were able to replicate the amazing water-repellent structure of lotus leaves in order to develop a unique type of bio-plastic that accurately combines both the strength and the biological release ability of the lotus leaves.” The innovative bio-plastics are made from cheap and common raw materials – starch and cellulose – in order to lower production costs and to encourage rapid biological decomposition. The production process does not require advanced heating or equipment, and in the future it will be possible to increase the scale of production to a commercial level, says the lead researcher.
While biologically freak plastic is a growing commercial market, not all products in this field are the same. Most biodegradable plastic products require industrial production processes as well as high temperatures in order to decompose them. The innovative bio-plastic is not required for this, in light of the experiments that have shown that it decomposes naturally and quickly in the soil. “It should be understood that there are big differences between plant-based materials – just because a product is made from plant ingredients, does not mean that the product will indeed break down easily,” explains the lead researcher. “We have carefully selected our raw materials so that they can be easily decomposed biologically from the moment they enter the soil by the bacteria that are there.” “The food waste can be transferred to compost together with the container or packaging in which the food arrived, in order to help prevent food contamination in the recycling process.”
Lotus leaves are known to have the most significant water-repellent surface area in nature, and can hardly be soiled. The secret to this lies in the structure of the surface of the leaf, which consists of thin columns coated with a layer of wax. Any amount of water that lands on the leaf remains as a drop that simply rolls away from the leaf with the help of gravity or wind gusts. During this process, the drops absorb the dirt that is on top of the leaf as they fall off the leaf, thus leaving it clean.
In order to develop their innovative bio-plastics, the researchers first created synthetic plastics made from nanoparticles of starch and cellulose. The surface of the synthetic plastic is imprinted by a mold that mimics the structure of the lotus leaves, and then it is coated by a protective layer of silicon-based organic polymer. Experiments have shown that not only does bio-plastic repel liquids and dirt effectively, but it retains its self-cleaning properties even after scratches and exposure to heat, acids and alcohol. The lead researcher says that the design overcomes major challenges in the field of starch-based materials. “Starch is one of the most promising and versatile natural polymers, yet it is quite fragile and sensitive to moisture,” the researcher said. “With the help of our nature-inspired engineering, which mimics the ‘lotus result,’ we were able to develop starch-based bio-freak plastics.” The researchers are currently working in collaboration with a bioplastic manufacturing company and are trying to develop more innovative water-repellent materials.
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