A team from Memorial University of Newfoundland (Canada) has successfully developed an eco-friendly plastic using oil derived from fish waste.
Pollution has become a global problem. Plastic waste today can be found everywhere, from icy peaks to the world’s deepest ocean trench, placing increasing pressure on ecosystems. Besides, plastic production is also an industry that uses a lot of energy, crude oil and toxic chemicals.
To create a cleaner and “greener” plastic, a team from Canada’s Memorial University of Newfoundland, led by Chemistry Professor Francesca Kerton, turned to fishermen and fish processors.
Turning fish waste into bioplastic
Canadian scientists have successfully developed an eco-friendly plastic using oil derived from fish waste.
Pollution has become a global problem. Plastic waste today can be found everywhere, from icy peaks to the world’s deepest ocean trench, placing increasing pressure on ecosystems. Besides, plastic production is also an industry that uses a lot of energy, crude oil and toxic chemicals.
To create a cleaner and “greener” plastic, a team from Canada’s Memorial University of Newfoundland, led by Chemistry Professor Francesca Kerton, turned to fishermen and fish processors.
Fish waste can be used to produce bioplastics. Photo: Mikhailey Wheeler.
From waste products such as fish heads, bones, scales, skin and intestines that are discarded during processing, Kerton and his colleagues have found a way to extract unsaturated oils, then add oxygen to create precursors. epoxide. Finally, using carbon dioxide as the reactant, the scientists successfully bonded epoxides with nitrogen-containing amines to create a material with polyurethane or PU-like properties.
The new material is strong but malleable. It does not require the use of crude oil or toxic gases and most importantly is biodegradable without emitting odors.
“When we started the process with fish oil, the fishy smell was still faint, but as we progressed through the next steps, the smell disappeared,” notes Kerton.
Recently, researchers have tweaked the manufacturing process, swapping amines for amino acids, which simplifies the chemistry involved.
Kerton said it is looking into ways to make the new material more biodegradable, as well as beginning to test its physical properties and look at its potential applications. The team’s work is expected to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Source: Plastic Today