Taiwanese researchers develop revolutionary biodegradable plastics

A university research team in Taiwan has developed a series of revolutionary plastic materials that can decompose and turn into nutrients four to six months after being buried in the ground.

A Tatung University team, led by bio-engineering professor Chen Chih-cheng in cooperation with a biochemical technology company, unveiled the results of its research on Tuesday.

Chen said the new plastic his team developed is different from others already in existence on two levels: it is 100 percent biodegradable and offers far more agricultural applications than any other material on the market.

The plastic has already been made into green plastic bags, seedling-nurturing cups and agricultural covers -- products that have been sold to European countries -- with many benefits.

Flower or vegetable seeds, for example, can be planted in the ground while in their plastic cups instead of having to be removed from the container at the time of transplanting, the professor said.

The plastic degrades completely in the soil without leaving any toxic residues and converts into nutrients for plants, helping raise the odds that they will sprout successfully and grow well in the future, according to the professor.

The plastic is made mainly of corn starch with some biodegradable polymers, Chen said, and turns into carbon dioxide and water as it degrades.

He also noted that if the material were burned, it would generate a far smaller volume of greenhouse gas emissions than typical plastics on the market.

The technology for making the plastic has been certified in the European Union, the United States, Japan and Taiwan as environmentally friendly, Chen said.

In his team are three Ph. D. students -- Wang Chin-huang, Tsai Ping-hsun and Kuo Chou-chiang -- and master's candidate Wang Yen-wen. They work in the university's Bio-Polymer Lab.

23.11.2010. 19:12

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