Biodegradable Plastic Made from Plant Materials

InventionThe University of Florida is seeking companies interested in commercializing a new bioplastic that is more environmentally friendly than plastics made from petrochemicals. Most plastics are produced from crude oil or natural gas disappearing resources that will continue to rise in price in the long term. One common petroplastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) accounts for about 18 percent of world polymer production. Researchers at the University of Florida have designed a sustainable alternative to PET using lignin the second- most abundant naturally occurring organic polymer found in plants.This unique bioplastic is the first truly viable substitute for PET as it matches the important thermal properties of this commercially dominant polymer. Available bioplastics such as those made from corn usually rely on costly fermentation processes and have sub-standard thermal properties both major obstacles to their widespread success. Because lignin is an inexpensive byproduct of paper production plastics derived from this material can compete on cost with traditional PET. The new lignin- based bioplastic has impressive marketplace potential. Global demand for bioplastics is expected to reach $2.9 billion by 2015 (1.1 million metric tons). Competitive prices could help bioplastics capture an even larger proportion of the total plastics market projected to exceed 225 million tons by 2015. ApplicationBiodegradable eco-friendly polymer made from plant materials for the production of synthetic fibers food/beverage containers films and resins