Sugar
A researcher based in Tel Aviv, Israel, is developing biodegradable plastics using corn starch and sugar in a bid to find a tougher and more sustainable alternative to materials made using petrochemicals.
Professor Moshe Kol of the University of Tel Aviv's School of Chemistry is working on a new variety of catalysts to initiate or sustain the chemical reaction in the material that ultimately leads to its biodegradation. The plastic the team is developing is a type of PLA, which is already used in bottles and film, and can be woven to make durable fabrics.
"The structure of these corn-based plastics depends on several parameters. The most important is the character of the building blocks, like Lego blocks, that hold the material together," Kol explained.
Kol believes that corn-based plastics could complement or replace petroleum-based plastics, which can take centuries to degrade, leaving harmful pollutants in the environment. Corn-based plastic, he said, does not cause adverse health effects and would be expected to biodegrade in a compost bin in a matter of months
The team has already developed a number of new catalysts enabling the polymerisation of lactide in PLA without creating toxic molecules, enabling this bioplastic to be more commercially feasible due to the fact it can be used and disposed of more safely than other PLAs that have toxic elements.
In addition to researching ways for this material to biodegrade more sustainably, the team is
working on how to make these plastics stronger and more heat-resistant, potentially enabling them to be used for beverage holders and in automotive components
An advocate of replacing traditional materials with plastic, Kol predicts a revolution of sorts, with plastics replacing the metal components of vehicles both outside and under the bonnet, while plastic piping in sewage systems could improve the quality of drinking water.
But the big advantage of safe, truly biodegradable plastics would be in the disposable consumer goods sector, for applications such as drinks cups, ensuring those items discarded into the environment do not blight the landscape permanently.
The preliminary results of Kol's research are in and the plastics he and his associates have been developing look and feel like polystyrene and can withstand temperature of up to 50 degrees Celsius - but this is the first major step in what could be a hige breakthrough in biodegradable plastics.
Kol's research group is currently expanding its activities in partnership with the University of Aachen in Germany and the University of Bath in the UK.