The development trend of biodegradable plastics

Plastics using starch: The technology of mixing aliphatic polyester and starch to produce biodegradable plastics has also been successfully studied. Starch is very important as a direct or indirect raw material for the production of biodegradable plastics. In addition to corn and sweet potatoes, starches such as cassava, sago, and taro can also be used. In Europe and the United States, a mixture of gelatinized starch and aliphatic polyester is widely used to produce products such as garbage bags. As long as there is water, starch will gelatinize after heating and has plasticity. However, its disadvantage is that it has no water resistance. By controlling the structure of gelatinized starch and PCL, a mixture with excellent water resistance and mechanical properties can be obtained. According to different uses and environmental conditions, further deepening research, improving formulations through molecular design research, and developing timely controllable environmentally degradable plastics have become key research topics in many countries. After summarizing various literature materials, it is generally possible to predict the future research and development trends of biodegradable plastics: Actively research and develop efficient and inexpensive photosensitizers, etc., to further improve controllability, rapid degradation and complete degradation. It is conducive to the treatment of disposable plastic waste, while ensuring the acquisition of a rich source of raw materials. The development of fully biodegradable plastics with natural polymers, microbial synthetic polymers and biodegradable synthetic polymers as raw materials is becoming more and more important. In order to accelerate the development of degradable plastics, countries are committed to accelerating the research and establishment of a unified definition, degradation mechanism, evaluation method and standard for degradable plastics. Explore and cultivate strains that can degrade ordinary plastics, so that the currently widely used ordinary plastics are easily degradable after use to meet environmental protection requirements; at the same time, attach great importance to cultivating biological plants that can produce polyester, etc., in order to reduce the cost of biodegradable plastics, which is conducive to the promotion and application. In addition, Huang Xudong and others from Sichuan Union University made the following prospects for the research on biodegradable plastics in terms of material synthesis and processing: First, the material synthesis adopts microbial synthesis methods to prepare biodegradable polymers, such as establishing some new models and concepts, and using microbial fermentation to obtain polymers with new structures; recyclable agricultural raw materials, and developing efficient ways to prepare bacterial polymers; using enzymes to catalyze polymer synthesis of new materials; using enzyme stereoselective monomers, and synthesizing and modifying biopolymers under the action of enzymes. Use organic synthesis methods to prepare biodegradable polymers, such as synthesizing polymers that are similar in structure to natural polymers, and establishing the relationship between polymer structure, morphology, and biodegradability; perform ring-opening polymerization of lactones, epoxides, cyclic carbonates, anhydrides, etc. to obtain new biodegradable polymers; modify polysaccharides to obtain new degradable processing materials. Second, develop new technologies for processing and blending to obtain derivatives of biopolymers; use reactive processing methods to obtain new biodegradable materials such as polysaccharides and degradable polyesters; develop co-extrusion technology to expand the application of hydrophobic polymers; establish blending compositions to optimize performance, biodegradability, and production costs; blend degradable plasticizers with biodegradable polymers to improve the latter's processing properties and obtain degradable blended materials; blend degradable plasticizers, fillers, and polysaccharides with degradable polyesters to improve processing properties and reduce costs; study the effects of blending ratios, compatibility, morphology, etc. on the kinetics, physical, and chemical properties of biodegradable blends.