by ETX
Every year, millions of tonnes of plastic waste end up in the oceans. Photography Mario De Moya F / Getty Images©
A team of Japanese researchers has successfully developed a new type of plastic that is strong, transparent and, above all, completely biodegradable, capable of dissolving in seawater in just a few hours. This is a major breakthrough at a time when marine plastic pollution is a major issue.
This new plastic is actually made from ionic monomers commonly used in food processing, such as sodium hexametaphosphate and guanidinium sulfate. These ionic monomers are small molecules with an electric charge that bind together to form polymers with specific properties such as salt sensitivity or conductivity. The result is also non-toxic, non-flammable, and does not release CO2 when it decomposes.
In seawater, the salt bonds responsible for the material's cohesion quickly dissolve, causing complete disintegration within a few hours at most. Unlike conventional plastics, this one does not generate any microplastics, and its components are largely recyclable. In fact, after dissolving the new plastic in salt water, researchers were able to recover 91% of the hexametaphosphate and 82% of the guanidinium in powder form. And that's not all: on land, the plastic degrades in less than 10 days, releasing essential nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, thereby helping to enrich the soil like a fertilizer!
On paper, this solution is revolutionary, especially since it is as strong as petroleum-based plastics. This means that one day this type of plastic could be used for packaging and also as a material for 3D printing without ending up polluting the oceans or land.
The arrival of such a plastic on the market could be one of the solutions to marine plastic pollution, given that millions of tonnes of it end up in the oceans every year. This new material, which is potentially compostable and circular, could therefore represent an innovative solution to reduce this threat, all while offering similar performances to conventional plastics.
Reference
Provided by ETX
※ Picks respects the rights of all copyright holders. If you do wish to make material edits, you will need to run them by the copyright holder for approval.
more from
ETX
Only one country on Earth would be fully self-sufficient without global food trade
ETX
Science suggests that we really do resemble our dogs
ETX
In chimpanzees, yawning is more than just a reflex
ETX
Albania town where everything's coming up roses
The Conversation
One green sea turtle can contain the equivalent of 10 ping pong balls in plastic
Knowable Magazine
The history of the ocean, as told by tiny beautiful fossils
AllblancTV
No More Hip Dip Workout
Inven Global
Gen.G Extends Perfect Split with Dplus KIA Sweep as kt Rolster Falls to T1 at LCK Roadshow
ETX
Farmed production of some fish - and seaweed - is soaring
ETX
'Israel-Gaza conflict: a carbon footprint greater than the annual emissions of 36 countries'
ETX
New rare wild orchid seen in UK for first time in 100 years
ETX
'Oceans feel the heat from human climate pollution'
Share TodayStory content on social media.
Go Home
Go to channel