Plant plastic is a type of polylactic acid plastic produced from crops such as corn or sugar cane. This new type of plastic is considered to be an environmentally friendly biodegradable plastic that can be decomposed into water and carbon dioxide by microbial action in the natural environment. Although plant plastic is expensive and easily deformed at high temperatures, it has been particularly successful in the medical field. Scientists predict that plant plastic is expected to completely replace petrochemical plastic in the next five years.

Features and Uses

Advantages

The biggest feature of plant plastic is that it is easy to decompose in nature. When an appropriate amount of water is added, polylactic acid plastic can be converted into easily decomposable esters. Under composting conditions, polylactic acid plastic is first decomposed into lactic acid by water and enzymes, and then metabolized by aerobic bacteria and finally decomposed into water and carbon dioxide. This process does not impose an additional burden on the environment. In addition, plant plastic comes from plants and can be obtained through planting, so it is considered a renewable resource or a sustainable material. Burning or natural decomposition of plant plastic will not have a negative impact on the environment.

Applications

The application of plant plastic is not limited to daily necessities such as agricultural mulch and fast food boxes, but also includes some electrical products and clothing. In the medical field, the advantages of plant plastic are particularly significant, especially in the production of medical bone screws. Traditional stainless steel bone screws require two operations, while plant plastic bone screws can be implanted and degraded in one operation without adverse effects on the human body. In addition, researchers are also exploring the use of plant plastic in the manufacture of skeletons for artificial organs, such as artificial livers.

Technical Challenges and Development Prospects

The high manufacturing cost of plant plastic has always been a major obstacle to promotion. However, with the increasing awareness of environmental protection, the development prospects of plant plastic are promising. In order to reduce costs, scientists are working to develop new plant plastic from other starch resources, such as rice. They found that by adjusting the composition ratio of polylactic acid, its heat resistance and strength can be significantly improved while maintaining good transparency. In addition, the popularization of plant plastic will also help reduce dependence on oil and natural gas, alleviate the depletion of fossil fuels, and promote carbon circulation.

Production Process

The production process of plant plastic involves extracting starch from plants and then breaking it down into maltose or glucose through enzyme catalysis. Next, these sugars are fermented by microorganisms to produce lactic acid, and finally form polylactic acid through polymerization. In order to improve the performance of polylactic acid, it is usually necessary to add softeners and control its degree of crystallization to balance the relationship between heat resistance, strength and transparency.

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