CHEMISTS ADD SUGAR IN PLASTIC
Researchers from the National Chemical Laboratory in Pune India, have developed a new technology to produce plastic, through which one can decompose by microorganisms under natural conditions.
The fifth part of the waste of modern society in terms of amount of plastic. A significant proportion of plastic, which is used by modern society, composed of three substances together with their derivatives: polyethylene (the material for the manufacture of bottles, packets and bags), polypropylene (used in food packaging) and polystyrene (part of various products - from disposable utensils to buildings electronic devices).
Under natural conditions, plastic, dumped in a landfill, can be degraded by decades. And thanks to technology developed by Indian chemists, the process of decomposition, which, importantly, is common ground microflora begins in a few days.
The essence of the invention Digambara Gohale and his colleagues from the National Chemical Laboratory in Pune is the following. Before polymerization of styrene is treated with special reagent, resulting in its molecular form small molecular bridges, which are subsequently chemical bonds for attachment to the polymer molecule of glucose or sucrose.
Carbohydrate supplements make up about 3% by weight of finished plastic, so the material properties remain virtually unchanged. However, the presence of sugar and glucose molecules in the polymer makes it suitable nutrient substrate for a number of microorganisms, in particular, groups of Pseudomonas and Bacillus. Using the remains of attached sugars, the bacteria break the polymer chain, contributing to its natural decay.
Now scientists are engaged in field experiments and research, are not formed during the decomposition of a plastic any environmentally harmful by-products.
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