TOKYO – A research team from the University of Tokyo has discovered new technology that will be able to process organic elements like coffee grounds and rice bran to a bioplastic material with improved resistance against heat and better moldability.
Typical bioplastics have a certain heat threshold where above it they cannot be used effectively anymore and this new bioplastic material might just be the solution to the problem.
A research team led by assistant professor Daisuke Ishii and Professor Tadahisa Iwata of the University of Tokyo started by isolating caffeic acid from coffee grounds and ferulic acid from rice bran.
These compounds are mixed with glycolic acid to create the new material. Typical bioplastic technology is usually made from polylactic acid, and the materials produced are used for garbage bags and beverage container labels.
The catch is that these materials deform when exposed to temperatures above 60 degrees centigrade, thus limiting their applications.
This new bioplastic material has higher heat resistance, with some of the materials created able to withstand temperatures of nearly 300 degrees centigrade.
Some of the new materials, especially the ones derived from rice bran, turns into a pliable liquid crystal material when heated to around 160-210 degrees centigrade.
The liquid form is easy to shape and process. In addition, these plastics were made without using organic solvents and generated zero waste products on production.
There are notable implications for the use of this new materials, with the heat resistance level suggesting that one day it can be used as material for electronic components, machinery parts and other applications.
The research team is looking to have a practical, mass production version of the technology ready within 10 years.
The challenge may be in getting the raw materials in industrial quantities. Coffee grounds and rice bran are plentiful, but will they be plentiful enough for production in high demand?
