Plastic and soy

1998/05/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ingurumena

Biodegradable plastics made of soy have increased considerably in recent years. They do not occupy space in landfills, as they degrade on their own. This plastic, however, can not be used as much as you want, since with rainwater is immediately undone, too quickly, so it does not serve many applications.

However, scientist Joshua Otaigbe has just found a remedy to deal with this problem. The mixture of polyphosphate filler with silane to soy proteins results in a more waterproof and durable plastic.

According to the American scientist, polyphosphates provide rigidity and hardness to plastics and silane prevents water absorption.

According to laboratory studies, this new plastic, which can be immersed for up to a year, is dissolved in a few hours.

Looking ahead, the researcher will analyze soil degradation. In any case, they consider it can be very useful for various applications.

Because soy is a renewable resource and is produced in large agricultural areas, the Iowa scientist has recognized that it is a cheap material.