While the polyester leisure suit was a 1970s mistake, polyester and other synthetic fibers like nylon are still around and are a major contributor to the microplastics load in the environment, according to a Penn State materials scientist, who suggests switching to biosynthetic fibers to solve this problem.
“These materials, during production, processing and after use, break down into and release microfibers that can now be found in everything and everyone,” said Melik Demirel, Lloyd and Dorothy Foehr Huck Endowed Chair in Biomimetic Materials.
Unlike natural fibers like wool, cotton and silk, current synthetic fibers are petroleum-based products and are mostly not biodegradable. While natural fibers can be recycled and biodegrade, mixed fibers that contain natural and synthetic fibers are difficult or costly to recycle.
Islands of floating plastic trash in the oceans are a visible problem, but the pollution produced by textiles is invisible and ubiquitous. In the oceans, these microscopic plastic pieces become incorporated into plants and animals. Harvested fish carry these particles to market and, when people eat them, they consume microplastic particles as well.
Demirel suggested four possible approaches to solving this problem, today (Feb. 16) at the 2019 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C. The first is to minimize the use of synthetic fibers and switch back to natural fibers such as wool, cotton, silk and linen. However, synthetic fibers are less expensive and natural fibers have other environmental costs, such as water and land-use issues.
Because much of the microfiber load that ends up in water sources comes from laundering, he suggests aftermarket filters for washing-machine outflow hoses. Clothes dryers have filters that catch lint – also microfiber waste – but current, front-loading washing machines usually do not.
“Capturing the microplastics at the source is the best filtering option,” said Demirel.
He also notes that bacteria that consume plastics do exist, but are currently at the academic research phase, which takes some time to gain industrial momentum. If bacteria were used on a large scale, they could aid in biodegradation of the fibers or break the fibers down to be reused.
While these three options are possible, they do not solve the problem of the tons of synthetic fibers currently used in clothing around the world. Biosynthetic fibers, a fourth option, are both recyclable and biodegradable and could directly substitute for the synthetic fibers. They could also be blended with natural fibers to provide the durability of synthetic fibers but allow the blends to be recycled.
Derived from natural proteins, biosynthetic fibers also can be manipulated to have desirable characteristics. Demirel, who developed a biosynthetic fiber composed of proteins similar to silk but inspired by those found in squid ring teeth, suggests that by altering the number of tandem repeats in the sequencing of the proteins, the polymers can be altered to meet a variety of properties.
For example, material manufactured from biosynthetic squid ring-teeth proteins, called Squitex, is self-healing. Broken fibers or sections will reattach with water and a little pressure and enhance the mechanical properties of recycled cotton as a blend. Also, because the fibers are organic, they are completely biodegradable as well.
Learn more: Tiny fibers create unseen plastic pollution
The Latest on: Biosynthetic fibers
[google_news title=”” keyword=”biosynthetic fibers” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Biosynthetic fibers
- 17 Healthy High-Fiber Snackson April 24, 2024 at 2:11 pm
Fiber is an important part of a healthy diet, but most Americans don't get enough of it. Plant-based, high-fiber snacks can help boost your fiber intake and be satisfying and delicious. Although ...
- Fiber internet providers 2024 | Fastest plans availableon April 22, 2024 at 1:20 pm
Visit our full methodology page and advertising disclosure to learn more. Fiber internet is a high-speed internet connection that uses fiber optic lines. Fiber optic lines are made of very thin ...
- Top 7 Best Fiber Gummies in 2024on April 20, 2024 at 9:35 pm
Fiber, a crucial ingredient, plays a significant role in safeguarding the health of our digestive system. Sadly, a lot of us fail to ingest the ample amount of fiber via our meals, resulting in ...
- Fallout 76: The Best Places To Farm Ballistic Fiberon April 18, 2024 at 12:45 pm
Ballistic Fiber is needed for some of the best upgrades and armor in Fallout 76. Here's how you can farm it. Ballistic Fiber is crucial for endgame armor in Fallout 76. Finding it can be tough ...
- Quantum Fiber Internet Serviceon April 18, 2024 at 8:31 am
Guy Gunther, Vice President and General Manager for Quantum Fiber, joined Hannah with advice on what to look for in an internet provider. For more information about Quantum Fiber, visit their ...
- Increased gibberellin biosynthesis in transgenic trees promotes growth, biomass production and xylem fiber lengthon April 17, 2024 at 11:51 pm
Figure 4: Effects of GA 20-oxidase overexpression on (A) cell length (B) cell number per internode (C) number of xylem fibers, and (D) xylem fiber length. GA 20-oxidase appears to be key enzyme in ...
- Sneaky Shellcode: Windows Fibers Offer EDR-Proof Code Executionon April 17, 2024 at 5:00 pm
BLACK HAT ASIA – Singapore – Windows fibers, little-known components of Windows OS, represent a largely undocumented code-execution pathway that exists exclusively in user mode — and is ...
- Frontier Internet review: Plans, prices and speedson April 12, 2024 at 12:25 pm
Frontier Internet is a fiber-optic and DSL provider available in 29 states. Frontier Fiber is available in 17 of those states and offers speeds from 200 Mbps to 5 GB. Read on to find out more ...
- IQ Fiber's new fiber-optic internet service in Gainesville to go live later this monthon April 12, 2024 at 9:04 am
A Jacksonville-based internet company that announced in September plans to bring its fiber-optic network to Gainesville is finally ready to flip the switch on its $50 million investment IQ Fiber ...
- Best Fiber Supplements Of 2024, According To Expertson April 10, 2024 at 10:19 am
Having digestive problems? A fiber supplement may help. Found in plant-based foods, fiber helps maintain the digestive system and keeps bowel movements regular, among other health benefits.
via Bing News
