The newly produced bioplastic consists of ’hydroplastic polymers’, which become soft and malleable on contact with water. Photo: K Zhang
The newly produced bioplastic consists of 'hydroplastic polymers', which become soft and malleable on contact with water. Photo: K Zhang Göttingen researchers create new kind of environmentally friendly bioplastic with hydroplastic polymers Plastics offer many benefits to society and are widely used in our daily life: they are lightweight, cheap and adaptable. However, the production, processing and disposal of plastics are simply not sustainable, and pose a major global threat to the environment and human health. Eco-friendly processing of reusable and recyclable plastics derived from plant-based raw materials would be an ideal solution. So far, the technological challenges have proved too great. However, researchers at the University of Göttingen have now found a sustainable method - "hydrosetting", which uses water at normal conditions - to process and reshape a new type of hydroplastic polymer called cellulose cinnamate (CCi). Plastics are polymers, meaning that their molecular structure is built up from a large number of similar units bonded together.
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