Presentation on bioplasticsBioplastics, what are they?* Compostable plastic-or-* Any plastic produced by organisms (or by-products of organisms).* There is currently a lot of confusion about the definition of bioplasticA mixture of acids that could be transformed into bioplasticProduce bioplastics, etc.Goal of bioplastic production* Save resources by reducing the production of standard polypropylene plastic by replacing it with a less resource-intensive plastic.* Or save the environment by making the plastic biodegradable* Or both!Speed of bioplastic degradationWhat are scientists doing now?Several interesting methods are being tested right now!* Using soy-based bioplastics* Using bacteria to produce bioplastics* Starch-based bioplastics* Polylactide bioplastics* Poly-3-hydroxybutyrateCurrent cost of Comparison of Bioplastics Soy-based Bioplastics One of the hottest sections of bioplastics research today. Pure soy bioplastic has many undesirable traits. Attempts to blend soy with other substances are currently underway. Soy shown Soy Protein Soy-based Bioplastics bacteriaSteven Pratt of New Zealand (Important new discovery) A mixture of bacteria can create acids during fermentation. The ratio between different acids is based on pH. The bacteria are fed with a glucose solution and fermented. Acids can be used to make bioplastics Starch-based* Make up about 50% of the current bioplastic market* Are used in the pills you take* Can be specifically customized by adding different amounts of plasticizers* This is called “starch thermoplastic” Polylactide bioplastics* Lactic acid is transformed into polylactide by adding a catalyst and heat.* Polylactide bioplastics can be produced on existing equipment from petroleum-based plastic* Resembles plastic in propertiesPoly-3-hydroxybutyrate* A polyester* Easily biodegradable* Easily processed* Currently very expensive* Current interest is very high* Methylobacterium sp V49 is a bacterium that produces poly-3-hydroxybutyrateThe challenges facing bioplastic* Economically unfeasible* Biodegradability is a useful and not so useful property