Researchers Redesign Biodegradable “Dream” Plastics in Partnership with BOTTLETM
The redesigned PHA in as-synthesized powder form (left), melt-processed and molded into test specimens (middle), and mechanically tested for toughness (right). Photo permissions from Colorado State University.
Replacing today’s commercial fossil-based plastics with sustainable alternatives won’t inherently lead to performance loss thanks to new research emerging from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLETM) consortium.
Colorado State University (CSU) chemists redesigned polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a class of “dream” biodegradable polymers created by living microorganisms, to improve the material’s durability, recyclability, and thermal stability. The researchers used chemical catalysis to replace the reactive hydrogen atoms within PHAs with robust methyl groups. This fundamental change in the material’s chemical structure can make PHAs less expensive to produce, easier to recycle, and more widely applicable. Also, these new PHAs are mechanically tougher, outperforming some common plastics used in products like milk and shampoo bottles, automotive parts and synthetic fibers.
Read more about this study in the CSU news story, Chemists Redesign Biological PHAs, “Dream” Biodegradable Plastics. This exciting research is supported by DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office and Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Technologies Office.
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