24-Aug-2020 | Market Research Store
Researchers from the University of California San Diego have developed a new step to resolve the problem of increasing percentage of plastic waste ending up in the landfills, oceans, and seashores. The plastic waste arising from shoes and flip-flops is found to be skyrocketing over the years. The researchers have taken a step forward in accomplishing their dream. The team engineered polyurethane foams using algae oil in order to confide to all the commercial standards set for midsole shoes and the soles of flip-flops. This study has been published in Bioresource Technology Reports wherein the sustainable, commercial, and biodegradable materials’ development is mentioned.
The university in collaboration with a startup company Algenesis Materials developed a material to offer a complete solution to the plastics issues, especially polyurethanes. The researchers have been able to develop commercial-quality foams that have the property of biodegrading in the natural environment. The foam comprised of 52% biocontent that made it applicable for further use in the shoe industry. The scientists also showed that commercial products like bioplastics (PLA), polyesters, and fossil-fuel plastics (PET) can biodegrade, but only in the labs or industrial composting. The redevelopment of polyurethanes using bio-based monomers has helped the team make the material suitable for making shoes without disturbing the materials chemistry. The degradation of this foam after 16 weeks that too without any toxic being out portrays the materials sustainability.
Furthermore, the researchers found the organisms decomposing the foam using specific enzymes. These enzymes showed polyurethane product depolymerization. The researchers found that these depolymerized products could be later used to resynthesize new polyurethane monomers, and complete a 'bioloop.' The recycling of the materials is likely to help address the current production and waste management problems concerning plastics. The major priority now is development ofmonomers made from algae and other biological sources; their making into polymers for diverse applications, the development and understanding of biodegradation of renewable polymers; and the development of synthetic biology platforms for the creation of monomers and crosslinking components.
Market Research Store published a report on global Europe algae oil market. The report specifies the details regarding the market dynamics and growth statistics. The understanding of the algae oil market in Europe will aid in knowing the market value.
https://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/europe-algae-oil-market-report-2018-402499