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Bioplastic refer to plastic produced by microorganisms based on natural substances such as starch. It is renewable and therefore very environmentally friendly. Currently, many countries have carried out relevant research.
Reports indicate that the global bioplastic market will grow rapidly, with an average annual growth rate of 8%-10%, increasing from US$1 billion in 2007 to US$10 billion in 2020. New applications in the automotive and electronics industries will drive the growth of bioplastic demand, although packaging will still dominate the market, its share is expected to drop from 65% in 2007 to 40% in 2025. By 2025, Asia will be the leader in the bioplastic market, accounting for about 32% of the market share, followed by Europe with 31% and the United States with 28%. Asia's leading position in the market is mainly based on the rapid development of genetically modified plants. In 2007, bioplastic accounted for about 10%-15% of the plastic market, and it is expected to reach 25%-30% by 2020. The main benefit will be the improvement of the technical performance of bioplastic. Technological innovation will expand its application in the automotive, medical and electronic industries.
Bioplastic are not only environmentally friendly, but also very adaptable to the body. They are expected to be used in the production of medical products such as postoperative sutures that can be absorbed by the body.
In order to promote the use of renewable resources such as bioplastic, the Japanese government has issued the "Biotechnology Strategy Outline" and the "Japan Comprehensive Strategy for Biomass", which mention that expanding the use of bioplastic is an important issue. The policy goal set by the "Biotechnology Strategy Outline" is that by 2010, 20% of plastic will be made from renewable resources.
First, the US Department of Agriculture encourages the production of bioplastic. Since 2004, it has implemented a bio-product priority procurement plan and plans to implement the BioPreferred program in 2010 to encourage consumers to actively consume bio-products with high biomass content.
Second, Belgium in Europe has launched the OKbiobased label to indicate the bio-based content of bioplastic products and encourage consumers to consume green and environmentally friendly bioplastic.
Third, due to the short development time of bio-based materials in China, many products do not have standards and testing methods, while foreign standards and testing and evaluation systems were established relatively early. Therefore, Chinese products often encounter barriers when they are exported in terms of bio-based content and biodegradability. China's biodegradable plastic industry is still in its infancy. It is difficult for companies to make profits immediately. It also takes a certain process for the market and consumers to accept it, but the environmental protection cause still needs the government to pay for it.
From large TV stands and computer frames to small ornaments and kitchen garbage bags, bioplastic can be found everywhere.
While chemical plastic products bring various conveniences to humans, they also bring unimaginable troubles to people. Because some discarded plastic will not degrade under natural conditions, and burning will release harmful gases, it has caused pollution to the ecological environment that is difficult to control. Therefore, scientists from various countries have begun to develop self-destructive or self-dissolving plastic that can decompose by themselves to solve this problem. Some people call it "green plastic". Companies in many countries have launched their own biodegradable plastic. Biologists at the University of Mitzgen in the United States first proposed the idea of "growing" degradable plastic. They used potatoes and corn as raw materials, implanted the genetic genes of plastic, and allowed them to grow bioplastic without harmful ingredients under artificial control. Imperial Chemical Industries in the United States uses bacteria to make sugars and organic acids into biodegradable plastic. Its method is similar to the fermentation process for producing ethanol, except that the bacteria used are alcaligenes, which can convert the feeding material into a plastic called PHBV. Bacteria accumulate this plastic as energy storage, just like humans and animals accumulate fat. When the bacteria accumulate PHBV to 80% of their body weight, steam is used to break these cells and collect the plastic. PHBV has similar properties to polypropylene. After being discarded, this material is stable even in a humid environment, but in the presence of microorganisms, it will degrade into carbon dioxide and water.
Microbiologists at the University of G?ttingen in Germany have isolated a specific gene of a bacterium to produce polyester inside plant cells. This type of polyester can be used to make plant-based biochemical plastic. This type of plastic decomposes into water and carbon dioxide under the action of bacteria, so this plastic waste can be used as plant fertilizer and return to nature. The technical personnel of the Industrial Technology Research Institute of Japan use the waste materials of agricultural and forestry crops, such as bean straw, to make degradable agricultural films. Some other scientists are experimenting with adding starch-like substances to plastic, so that bacteria that feed on starch will devour it and slowly disappear.
Biological self-destructive plastic are widely used in medicine. In fracture surgery, it can serve as a support between bones. As the bones heal, it will gradually decompose on its own. To treat comminuted fractures, doctors usually use nuts, screws, splints and drills made of stainless steel to fix the broken bones. The disadvantage of this method is that two operations are required, one to implant these stainless steel materials and one to remove them. Dutch scientists have invented a plastic that will decompose itself after about two years of implantation into the body, turning into carbon dioxide and water. There is also a linear biological self-destructive plastic that can replace traditional medical surgical sutures to suture wounds. This plastic surgical suture can be gradually absorbed by the body, eliminating the trouble of removing sutures. In addition, the medical capsules made of biodestructive plastic will slowly dissolve in the body and control the speed at which the drug enters the blood vessels.
The UK has developed a research program called Combine, which has developed a plastic with strong wear resistance. This plastic is not only hard and light, but also environmentally friendly and can be used as car doors, ship hulls, baby incubators and similar products. The half-life of ordinary plastic is thousands of years. The plastic raw materials studied in this program are plants, which have a short half-life and are harmless synthetic plastic. It is also the first time that renewable resources are used to manufacture structural materials and products. Innovative combination The purpose of the Combine program is to develop a high-performance, bio-based synthetic material that can be used as a structural component through an innovative combination of natural fibers and bioplastic. Today, natural fibers are only available in two types: filled short fibers and compression-molded mat fibers, but neither of these can provide enough strength and hardness to make structural components. Natural fiber yarns are usually twisted together, which makes it difficult to inject sticky thermoplastic resins into them. In this plan, hemp and flax fibers are processed, spun into continuous fibers, and then woven into high-performance textiles. These textiles are combined with self-destructive bioplastic such as polylactic acid, and then formed into various components through vacuum bag molding and compression molding. Finally, surface treatment is required to strengthen the bond between the fiber and the resin. Material bonding and processing technology need to be improved, and factors such as future environmental degradation, compatibility and recyclability of the materials must also be considered.
A new type of bioplastic developed in Shanghai. Its heat resistance is greatly improved, and its heat deformation temperature exceeds 100¡æ. It can be widely used in disposable utensils such as disposable tableware and disposable medical supplies, packaging of electronic devices and other products, as well as agricultural fields such as agricultural films, pesticides and fertilizer slow-release materials.
This new type of bioplastic, biodegradable polyester, uses an original production process and catalyst. Tested by the National Plastic Products Quality Supervision and Inspection Center, its degradation rate reached 62.1% after 94 days, which meets the national standard definition of biodegradable plastic. The bioplastic can be mixed with starch and other biological raw materials in a certain proportion to make various products. After these products are discarded, they become "food" for microorganisms in the soil, thus achieving harmless decomposition.
A research team led by Paul J. Dauenhauer of the University of Massachusetts Amherst has discovered a new method for producing biomass plastic. The method is low-cost and can obtain p-xylene (a key raw material for biomass plastic) at a high yield of 75% using most biomass as raw materials. The research results were published in the American Chemical Society's journal ACS Catalysis. P-xylene is used to make PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic, which are used in many products such as carbonated beverage bottles, food packaging, synthetic fiber clothing, and even auto parts. The plastic industry produces p-xylene from petroleum as raw material; the new method can produce the chemical from biomass as raw material in a renewable way, and then produce plastic products marked with the triangular recycling symbol "1#". The method uses molecular sieves as catalysts to convert glucose into paraxylene in a three-step reaction in a high-temperature bioreactor. Because the nanostructure of the catalyst has a great influence on the effect of the biological reaction, this specially designed catalyst is the key to success. It has undergone a series of optimization and improvements to promote the reaction of paraxylene and improve the yield. This is a major breakthrough because other methods for producing renewable paraxylene are either expensive (such as fermentation) or have low reaction efficiency and low product yield. In the future, the method can be further optimized to increase the yield of paraxylene and reduce costs. This discovery is part of the breakthrough progress of the Center for Energy Catalysis Innovation (CCEI) in the production of biofuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass.
1. Bioplastic can reduce the consumption of petroleum used to produce plastic;
2. Biodegradable plastic can promote the slow progress of plastic recycling in the United States. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, only about 6% of plastic in the United States were recycled in 2005.
3. Bioplastic do not contain toxic substances such as polyvinyl chloride and phthalates. The health effects of these toxins have received widespread attention, and some countries and regions have already banned the addition of phthalates to toys and baby products.
Fourth, the development of bioplastic is obtained from pure plants. Plants contain a lot of starch and protein, which is also the main source of acrylic acid and polylactic acid in bioplastic. Acrylic acid, polylactic acid, etc. extracted from plants are then produced into biodegradable plastic materials through various processes, which largely avoids pollution and damage to the environment. This is an unparalleled advantage of traditional plastic.
Due to technical problems, most bioplastic products outside China are mixed products of bioplastic and synthetic plastic. Having more bio-content means having more and more environmentally friendly bio-ingredients, so it is particularly important to distinguish consumer bioplastic products. The U.S. Department of Agriculture purchases products with more bio-ingredients at a higher level than those with less. Belgium uses star ratings to distinguish biological products. Products with 20-30% bio-based ingredients are one star, 30-40% are two stars, and so on.
These policies are defined based on the biocarbon content, and are evaluated by the percentage of biocarbon content and total carbon content. ASTMD6866 is a test method developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials to quantify the exact percentage of total biocarbon and fossil carbon content in test samples.
As people's environmental awareness increases, the demand for bioplastic has increased. Bioplastic do not use petroleum products to make them, and they self-decompose after use. Polylactic acid is the raw material for making bio-packaging materials. Bioplastic are 1-3 times more expensive than ordinary polymers made from petroleum products. Bioplastic packaging can effectively inhibit the penetration of oxygen, water vapor, and ultraviolet rays, and is heat-resistant. Although bioplastic products are expensive, the demand for bio-packaging plastic is still growing sharply.
Biop manufacturers plan to build Europe's first plant in Brandenburg to produce bioplastic from potato starch, with an annual production capacity of about 35,000 tons. The American Natureworks company produces more than 150,000 tons of corn plastic annually.
Many stores use bioplastic to package fruits, vegetables and cakes.
In 2010, France will allow supermarkets to use only degradable paper bags.
Biodegradable plastic have entered the mainstream market in the United States; although the cost of biodegradable plastic is still 10% or more higher than traditional plastic, manufacturers have found that demand is growing, mainly due to the increasing environmental awareness of consumers and the revision of environmental regulations. In addition, the strength of biodegradable plastic products is constantly improving, which has brought good news to sanitation workers and pet owners who are well aware of the harm of traditional plastic.
DSM of the Netherlands invested 20 million US dollars to establish Tianjin Guoyun Biomaterials Co., Ltd. in Tianjin, China, mainly for the construction of China's largest polyhydroxyalkane (PHA) polymer in Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Zone. PHA is a new renewable polymer with a wide range of applications, including automobiles, biomedicine and electronics, fibers, films and foams.
1. Price. Bioplastic are currently two to three times more expensive than ordinary plastic, which has hindered the rapid popularization of such materials. Some Japanese companies use bioplastic in their products mainly to establish the company's environmental image. However, once bioplastic enter the mass production stage, the cost can be greatly reduced.
2. Bioplastic, like biofuels, may compete with people for food. Biofuels are derived from food crops such as corn and wheat, which will drive up world food prices. Bioplastic made from corn and other raw materials may also cause the same problem. Scientists in Japan, the United States and other countries have begun to make bioplastic from waste wood, weeds and other materials.
3. The supply of bioplastic is still limited. Product prices are still driven to a certain extent by oil prices.
4. The end-of-life management of bioplastic. The focus is on the pollution of PLA bottles to the recycling stream. Although the current level of PLA does not pose a serious pollution threat, a large number of PLA bottles will be harmful to the recycling economy of PET bottles.
5. Lack of a unified labeling method for bioplastic.
Sixth, consumer awareness of bioplastic is increasing, but most consumers do not know how to distinguish between these materials¡ªsuch as biomaterials and biodegradable materials, or renewable materials and recycled content¡ªand how to weigh different properties. Therefore, it is important to strengthen consumer education, such as accurately explaining the definitions of relevant terms. In addition, consumers have little understanding of the best disposal routes for biodegradable materials. It is also very important for the bioplastic industry to strengthen marketing to dispel some consumers' mistrust.
Seventh, global warming issues. Bioplastic can be biodegradable to varying degrees, and it shows the world a way to no longer rely on oil to produce plastic. But manufacturers' "green arguments" are complicated, and environmentalists have reservations about them. The production of bioplastic produces carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming.
Eighth, doubts about the safety of genetically modified materials. The raw materials used in bioplastic are crops¡ªcorn, switchgrass, sugarcane, and even sweet potatoes¡ªwhich require land and water to grow. To promote fermentation, manufacturers often use genetically modified organisms, and there are some drawbacks to recycling this kind of plastic.
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