The Technology
Much of the planet is swimming in discarded plastic. Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues, as rapidly increasing production of disposable plastic products overwhelms the world’s ability to deal with them.
In order to handle the discarded single use plastic quantities several solutions were suggested: use of multiple use plastic or use of degradable plastic. Both are far from being real solutions. Multiple use plastic is still plastic which will not degrade and will cause pollution. Biodegradable plastic manufacturing still requires raw materials such as fossil-fuel-derived polymers and known regular plasticizers i.e. PVA. In addition, the process of producing the biodegradable plastic usually requires harsh solvents and biodegradability can be occurs in specific environments.
Plant-based protein polymer film produced using weak acid and green process allows having the benefits of plastic without the pollution related to its production and disposal.
Pea and soy proteins with weak acid without the addition of plasticizers or crosslinkers were used to produce transparent plastic with mechanical properties similar polyethylene films. The green process allows to produce biodegradable and even edible films.
Advantages
- Green process, no hazardous materials, no plasticizer, low energy requirements
- No leaching
Applications and Opportunities
- Packaging materials
- Base materials for face mask
- Wraps for food items
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