Production of bioplastics from renewable sources

Chemists at the University of Bath have synthesized bioplastics using a substance found in coniferous conifers.

Researchers hope that the material that is sourced entirely from renewable sources will be used as a food packaging and to produce medical implants. The researchers presented their achievements in the journal Polymer Chemistry.

Their research helps produce complete bioplastics from renewable sources.

Materials for the production of environmentally friendly materials, such as polylactide (PLA), are renewable resources such as corn and sugar. In addition to this strength, polylactic also has good biological compatibility, which can be used as a medical implant. However, one of the major disadvantages of lactic acid polymers is poor durability and poor plasticity. To make the polylactic more elastic, scientists have added caprolactone derived from petroleum. But this addition makes the bioplastics not completely regenerated.

British chemists now replace caprolactone with pinene obtained from resinous pine needles of pineapple. According to the authors of the patent, their work helps produce completely bioplastics from renewable sources. So far, scientists have only a few grams of environmentally-friendly materials in their hands, but they are developing a technology that allows bioplastic synthesis from the laboratory to be turned into a production scale. series.