A new study has developed a type of biodegradable, edible and antimicrobial plastic that is stronger than that made from non-renewable raw materials.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himThe disposal of food packaging is a major cause of pollution around the world. More than 350 million tons of plastic are produced each year, and 85% of the garbage dumped in the oceans is plastic. To make matters worse, most of the plastic packaging comes from non-renewable raw materials such as petroleum.
Given this, reducing the use of fossil fuels to produce plastics is the goal of much research in this area; in fact, many scientists are working on the development of biodegradable packaging materials that also prevent contamination by microorganisms, and extend the shelf life to reduce losses. (Read also: Bioplastics: Scientists develop a revolutionary way to recycle plant-based plastic instead of letting it rot in landfills)
A systematic review
Uno study conducted by a research group called Composites and Hybrid Nanocomposites Group (GCNH) at the State University of Sao Paulo (UNESP) managed to achieve the bioplastic (or “green plastic”) from type B gelatin readily available in retail stores in the form of a colorless powder.
Gelatin was one of the first materials used in the production of biopolymers, and is still widely used due to its abundance, low cost, and excellent film-forming properties. However, biopolymers for packaging have characteristics that need to be improved to be comparable to petroleum products, especially with regard to mechanical properties and vapor permeability, so the researchers added cloisite Na + nanoclay with jelly.
The addition of nanoclay made the film more homogeneous and increased its tensile strength to 70 megapascals (MPa). Conventional polyethylene packaging has less than half of this tensile strength (in the range 20 MPa-30 MPa)
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In addition to the nanoclay, one has also been added nanoemulsion based on essential oil ofblack pepper to give the package a more attractive taste and smell. The blend also extends the shelf life of food products packaged with the material, thanks to the inclusion of antimicrobial and antioxidant components in the polymer matrix.
It is worth noting that the bioplastic in question was originally designed for package products that are vulnerable to microbial contamination, and which have a strong odor, but the principle of adding nano-clay and nano-emulsion of essential oil to a gelatin matrix can and will be extended to other foods by varying the type and proportion of essential oil used.
If this type of packaging spreads to the market, it could significantly reduce the use of plastics made up of non-biodegradable polymers and, therefore, the amount of solid waste. Also, this one bioplastic it will better protect packaged foods from contamination by pathogens.
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Photos: MDPI
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