Researchers at McGill University have developed a new kind of durable, biodegradable plastic using shells from crustaceans – lobsters, shrimp, and even some insects.
Inside the shells is something called chitin, which can be modified to make a polymer called chitosan. But the polymer is difficult to fabricate in mass quantities, and isn’t always durable.
That is, until Associate Professor of Applied Chemistry Audrey Moores and one of her students – Thomas Di Nardo – figured it out.
“What we managed to do was make chitosan with a much, much longer chain,” Moores explained. “So we managed to preserve the long polymer chain that nature has fabricated.”
The longer the molecular chain, the more robust the material; the discovery has plenty of potential applications.
For example, it could potentially be used as a replacement for plastic straws and disposable cutlery, single-use plastic bags, food packaging, and even plastic for 3D printing.
“We’re also looking into higher end applications like biomedical applications. Can we make coatings for implants that would have this really robust material, yet fully compatible coatings made of chitosan?” Moores added.
In the lab, they’re primarily working with shrimp shells, which are ground into a fine powder.
The team has built partnerships with seafood and insect producers to get their waste, and hope the new material will one day replace petroleum-based plastics.
Their process has been patented, and now they’re working to make the plastic more malleable – the next step before getting the material to market.
