Scientists in Japan have created a new type of plastic that is not only stronger and stretchier than ordinary plastics but is also partially biodegradable. It can also recall intricate shapes, which it can reconstitute once heated.
Environmentally friendly plastics
Scientists around the world have long sought to develop an eco-friendly replacement for regular plastic due to its terrible environmental impact.
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have now invented “sustainable plastic,” which is based on an epoxy resin vitrimer.
What exactly are vitrimers?
Vitrimers are a relatively new class of polymers noted for their exceptional low-temperature strength while also having the unusual ability to be reshaped several times when exposed to higher temperatures.
Nonetheless, they have a significant disadvantage: severe brittleness, as they cannot be stretched very far before breaking.
To overcome this issue, researchers integrated a chemical known as polyrotaxane into the plastic manufacturing process, yielding a unique plastic variety known as VPR, which stands for “vitrimer incorporated with polyrotaxane.”
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VPR’s robust internal chemical linkages retain their rigid shape at lower temperatures, but when temperatures climb to roughly 150 degrees Celsius, these bonds begin to rearrange, allowing the material to take on multiple forms.
Furthermore, when heat and a solvent are applied to VPR, it quickly degrades into its basic components. Submerging VPR in seawater for 30 days resulted in a 25% biodegradation, with the polyrotaxane degrading into a possible food source for marine life.
Self-healing abilities
“VPR is over five times as resistant to breaking as a typical epoxy resin vitrimer,” said Professor Shota Ando, a project research associate at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Frontier Sciences.
“It also repairs itself 15 times as fast, can recover its original memorized shape twice as fast, and can be chemically recycled 10 times as fast as the typical vitrimer. It even biodegrades safely in a marine environment, which is new for this material,” Ando added.