British-Israeli team working to make bioplastics tougher

Scientists at England's Bath University and Tel Aviv University in Israel are working on a joint project designed to improve the properties of bioplastics, allowing them to be used in a wider range of automotive products.

The effort focuses on polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable plastic that can be made from renewable plant sources such as corn, wheat or sugar. PLA is currently used in bottles, bags and films, and can be woven into fibres to make clothes in place of polyester.

The scientists at Bath and Tel Aviv are developing a new chemical catalyst to improve the process of making these plastics by making them stronger and more heat resistant so they can be used as a replacement for automotive plastic parts currently made from engineering plastics. 

"PLA can be made up of two types of building blocks that are mirror images of each other. Using the current technology, when the plastic is made with both types present they are jumbled together within the structure of the plastic," said Prof Matthew Davidson, Whorrod Professor of Sustainable Chemical Technologies at the Bath University. "This new project will develop a selective catalyst that will build up a polymer of 'left-handed' and 'right-handed' building blocks in a structured order so that we can control the physical properties of the resulting plastic."

The project is one of 10 joint British-Israeli research projects that tackle global challenges in energy and the environment that have been selected to receive funding through the Britain-Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership, BIRAX.

Source: http://www.canplastics.com