Newly invented plastic decomposes itself within three days.
Plastic pollution all over the world is a major problem for mankind. In recent years scientists have developed plastics that are biodegradable or can be used as soil fertilizers to improve the situation, but the process requires some specific ways of handling to achieve it.
Research published April 21 in the journal Nature invented a new plastic that people soak in warm water for a few days in their own homes to break down and disappear, and can be used as a fertilizer for the soil.
The material is made by adding an enzyme molecule to existing plastics. This study improves on polylactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) plastics. These two materials are currently common plastic materials that can degrade as fertilizers. The researchers added special enzyme molecules to these materials that can degrade the plastic into lactic acid, a nutrient needed by microorganisms in the soil.
The researchers encapsulated the enzyme in a polymer and put it inside the plastic fibers, which does not change the texture of the plastic and creates a new plastic that still looks and works like ordinary plastic. The new plastic still looks and works just like ordinary plastic. Only when it is exposed to water and a certain temperature will the plastic show its unique characteristics.
Experiments have shown that PLA plastic with enzymes decomposed within 6 days at 50 degrees Celsius after being exposed to water; PCL with enzymes decomposed in only 2 days at about 40 degrees Celsius after being exposed to water. Up to 98% of the plastic is broken down into small molecule form, without producing any microplastic particles.
“People are considering a full switch to biodegradable polymers for single-use plastic products, but if the material creates more other problems, then the policy will have to be changed back. Our material could solve the ongoing problem of hard-to-degrade single-use plastic products, and we think we’re on the right track.” said Ting Xu, a professor of materials science and engineering and chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, one of the lead authors of the study.
The research team said the plastic does not begin to degrade at normal temperatures and when exposed to only a little moisture. That means that if a shirt is made from the material, it will not be damaged if the body sweats, or if it is washed in cold water. The researchers left the material at room temperature for three months without degradation.
Xu Ting said the material does trigger the degradation process when it encounters warm water, but that’s the advantage of this material. “People can effortlessly dispose of these materials in their own homes and turn them into fertilizer. We soak this material in hot water coming out of the faucet, reheat it to the desired temperature and leave it there, and they disappear after a few days.”
Now the research group is trying to apply this method to other types of plastics and also wants to control the degree of degradation, such as whether it can be partially degraded, leaving a portion that can be recycled to make new plastics.
Recent Comments