American scientists make new biodegradable bioplastics

Plastic bags are now heavily abused, which has an impact on the environment. Plastic bags made of petroleum products have been widely used due to their high strength, hardness and temperature resistance. But as garbage, they take a long time to degrade.

Lih-Sheng Turng, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said: "They are very durable, but this is not good news for the ecological environment." For increasingly important environmental reasons, and the recent soaring oil prices, The Turng team is working on the synthesis of bioplastics that can be used for a long time and can be rapidly degraded.

These biopolymers are made from renewable raw materials, such as corn or soy, which can be used to make a variety of products from fertilizer bags to baby diapers. Turng said: “We design products with good usability, but after use, they can be degraded into carbon dioxide, water and other biological substances in the natural environment. Carbon dioxide will be used by plants to grow and maintain the balance of this greenhouse gas. ."

About 30% of plastics are used for packaging. Once biopolymers are used to replace existing materials, environmental protection will be a boost. However, existing biopolymers do not have high strength and high temperature resistance, which limits their application. By cooperating with UM-Milwaukee and other agencies, Turng team tried to use carbon nanotubes and natural fibers to improve the performance of biopolymers. At the same time, they also used injection molding and other methods to change the microstructure of biopolymers.

The team is also studying the medical applications of these substances. For example, after fracture, biodegradable materials can be used for fixation to facilitate the growth of new bone tissue. They are using micromolecules made of biopolymers to simulate bone tissue.

Source: Ministry of Education Science and Technology Development Center