The idea of bioplastics is not new – for some time, environmentally oriented scientists have been trying to develop a fully recyclable replacement for plastic as we know it today.
Researchers from Hokkaido University in Japan significantly contributed to these efforts by developing a suitable method for making various polymers from plant cellulose.
Cellulose is a long-chain polysaccharide polymer, which means it consists of multiple sugar groups linked by chemical bonds. To create a new class of recyclable polymers, the Hokkaido University team developed chemical processes to vary the structure of cellulose-derived polymers and create different materials for a range of applications, the university said in a press release.
One of the most abundant components of biomass obtained from plants is precisely cellulose since it forms a key part of the solid cell walls of all plant cells. As such, cellulose is abundantly available from plant wastes such as straw and sawdust, so its use as a raw material for polymer production should not affect the availability of agricultural land for food production.
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Researchers believe that the new bioplastic, which is entirely stable and recyclable, will stand in the way of plastic waste, which is one of the biggest polluters of the environment.
“Our biggest challenges were controlling the polymerization reaction that links smaller monomer molecules and obtaining polysaccharide materials that are stable enough for common applications while still being able to be broken down and recycled under specific chemical conditions”, says Associate Professor Feng Li, one of the researchers.
Professor Li adds that the biggest surprise during the research was the high transparency of the polymer films they made, which could be crucial for the further application of this bioplastic.
