Indian researchers have developed a new eco-friendly, non-toxic biodegradable polymer that has the potential to be used as packaging material. The biodegradable polymer has been fabricated using guar gum and chitosan, both of which are polysaccharides extracted from guar beans and shells of crab and shrimps.
The newly developed polymer is environment-friendly, non-toxic, and meets the drawbacks of petroleum-based polymers.
Guar gum and chitosan polymer
Guar gum, also called guaran, is a galactomannan polysaccharide extracted from guar beans (vegetable) that has thickening and stabilizing properties useful in food, feed, and industrial applications. It is readily available and extracted from the endosperm of guar seed. The guar seeds are mechanically dehusked, hydrated, milled, and screened according to the application. Further, the guar gum biopolymer is largely applied in industrial work due to its renewable nature.
Chitosan is a linear polysaccharide made by treating the chitin shells of shrimp and other crustaceans with an alkaline substance, such as sodium hydroxide. Chitin is found in the exoskeletons of insects, the cell walls of fungi, and certain hard structures in invertebrates and fish.
Chitosan is the second most abundant polysaccharide, among all the polysaccharides found in nature. This polymer also has wide potential in packaging due to it being non-toxic, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly.
Application
Polysaccharide is one of the most potential bio-polymers that can be used in the fabrication of packaging material. However, due to some drawbacks of polysaccharides, such as low mechanical properties, high water-solubility, and low barrier properties, they are not preferred.
On the other hand, the newly developed, non-toxic polymers by Indian scientists have high water stability, high mechanical strength, and are resistant to harsh environmental conditions. These qualities make it a potential to be used in packaging applications.
The researchers used the solution casting method (a simple technique to make polymer films) to make a guar gum-chitosan composite film. The composite film is a cross-linked polysaccharide made up without the use of any plasticizer. Plasticizers are low-molecular-weight polymers that increase the spacing between chains of crystalline polymer to make them more flexible and, thereby, tougher.
The fabricated cross-linked film did not dissolve in water even after 240 hours upon testing. Further, the mechanical strength of cross-linked guar gum-chitosan composite film was also found to be higher than a general bio-polymer (Bio-polymer is known to possess poor strength).
In addition to this, the composite film also showed high water resistance. It had low water vapor permeability when compared with the film made only from chitosan.
Petroleum-based polymers
Plastic is an example of a polymer. A polymer is a molecule that is made up of repeating units. These units, called “monomers”, form a long molecular chain. Polymers have a range of different chemical and physical properties.
In modern times, the dependency on petroleum-based polymers has extensively increased over the years. Synthetic polymers like polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), nylon, polyester (PS), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and epoxy (commonly known as plastic) are derived from petroleum hydrocarbons.
Petroleum-based plastic materials are most commonly used in packaging due to their properties such as durability, transparency, low cost, and lightweight, among several others. However, petroleum-based plastic packaging materials do not degrade and accumulate as solid waste over the years.
These are hazardous to the environment and raise concerns related to its degradation or incineration and global warming. Their recycling is expensive. They are also toxic. Due to the threats posed by synthetic polymers, scientists have been looking for solutions that have resulted in bio-polymers.
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