Tomato skins are under consideration, as are eggshells. Thats testing its strength.While other attempts at making this type of rubber-enhanced bioplastic have reduced the strength of the PHBV by as much as 80 per cent, only 30 per cent of the strength Air compressor was lost in this study – a much more manageable amount, Zhao said. Toughness, which was improved, is different from strength, explained study co-author Katrina Cornish. Among the obstacles, products to date have been too brittle for food packaging. You can never pull it apart, but if youre strong enough you can break it," Cornish said. This new study highlights the greatest success in this area so far, according to scientists.

A biodegradable replacement for petroleum-based products has to meet all sorts of standards and, so far, attempts at viable replacements from renewable sources have faced limited success due to processing and economic constraints."Previous attempts at this combination were unsuccessful because the softness of the rubber meant the product lost a lot of strength in the process," said lead author Xiaoying Zhao.."We could dry them, grind them up and potentially use these grasses as fibrous filler," Vodovotz said.Washington: A biodegradable replacement for petroleum-based plastics has been marred by various challenges; however, new research has found a way that could yield earth-friendly plastics. The end product was 75 per cent tougher and 100 per cent more flexible than PHBV on its own - meaning it is far easier to shape into food packaging.

Theyre even looking at the potential to attack two environmental problems at once, by seeing how invasive grasses that environmentalists are yanking out of waterways might play with the rubber-infused mix."Imagine trying to pull a block of concrete apart with your hands. Beyond packaged foods, a bioplastic could potentially be used in other food-related applications such as utensils and cutting boards.Much of the researchers current focus is on the potential use of various biodegradable - and otherwise environmentally conscious-materials they might use as fillers to further strengthen the mix.Other research teams have combined rubber and PHBV, but the products have been too weak to withstand all the demands of a food package - from processing to shipping, to handling in stores and homes, especially containers that are used for freezing and then microwaving, said the studys senior author, Yael Vodovotz.

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