The new polymer is made using xylose, a sugar found in wood. (Credit: Leszek Kobusinski)
Scientists from Bath‘s Centre for Sustainable and Circular Technologies have made a sustainable polymer using the second most abundant sugar in nature, xylose.
Not only does the new nature-inspired material reduce reliance on crude oil products, but its properties can also be easily controlled to make the material flexible or crystalline.
The researchers, from the University’s Centre for Sustainable and Circular Technologies, report the polymer, from the polyether family, has a variety of applications, including as a building block for polyurethane, used in mattresses and shoe soles; as a bio-derived alternative to polyethylene glycol, a chemical widely used in bio-medicine; or to polyethylene oxide, sometimes used as electrolyte in batteries.
The team says additional functionality could be added to this versatile polymer by binding other chemical groups such as fluorescent probes or dyes to the sugar molecule, for biological or chemical sensing applications.
The team can easily produce hundreds of grams of the material and anticipate that production would be rapidly scalable.
Dr Antoine Buchard, Royal Society University Research Fellow and Reader at the Centre for Sustainable and Circular Technologies, led the study.
He said: “We’re very excited that we’ve been able to produce this sustainable material from a plentiful natural resource – wood.
“The reliance of plastics and polymers on dwindling fossil fuels is a major problem, and bio-derived polymers – those derived from renewable feedstocks such as plants – are part of the solution to make plastics sustainable.
“This polymer is particularly versatile because its physical and chemicals properties can be tweaked easily, to make a crystalline material or more of a flexible rubber, as well as to introduce very specific chemical functionalities.
“Until now this was very difficult to achieve with bio-derived polymers.
“This means that with this polymer, we can target a variety of applications, from packaging to healthcare or energy materials, in a more sustainable way.”
Like all sugars, xylose occurs in two forms that are mirror images of each other – named D and L.
The polymer uses the naturally occurring D-enantiomer of xylose, however the researchers have shown that combining it with the L-form makes the polymer even stronger.
The research team has filed a patent for their technology and is now interested in working with industrial collaborators to further scale up production and explore the applications of the new materials.
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Sustainable polymer
- UMaine’s novel polymer 3D printer surpasses former Guinness World Record
Four times larger than its predecessor, FoF 1.0 offers new opportunities in composite materials, including development of recycled and bio-based materials.
- Unravelling Secrets Of Efficient Organic Photovoltaics
Discover how investigating the electron-accepting molecule Y6 is revolutionising organic photovoltaics, offering new hope for sustainable energy solutions.
- University of Houston: Innovative High-Energy-Density Capacitors Enable Sustainable Clean Future
In the quest for more efficient and sustainable energy solutions, a multi-university research team has reached a significant milestone in capacitor technology. Researchers from the University of ...
- Engineers uncover key to efficient and stable organic solar cells
A team of researchers led by Professor Philip C.Y. Chow from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has made a significant breakthrough in the field of organic ...
- The Rise of Natural Polymers: Pioneering Sustainable Material Development
By Taha Khan Apr 25 2024 Reviewed by Lexie Corner Natural polymers are complex molecules composed of long chains of repeating units found in nature. Derived from widely available renewable sources, ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Sustainable polymer
[google_news title=”” keyword=”sustainable polymer” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Bio-derived polymers
- The world’s largest 3D printer is at a university in Maine. It just unveiled an even bigger one
The university that boasts the world’s largest 3D printer developed one even bigger. And it’s poised to help tackle one of America’s biggest problems of all.
- Biocomposites Market Size is projected to reach USD 85.07 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 14.34%: Straits Research
The key global biocomposites market players are Bcomp Limited, Flex Form Technologies, Fortune Brands Home, Mitsubishi (Japan), Meshling Composites, Nanjing Jufeng New Materials Limited, Tecnaro GmbH, ...
- Neste RE™: Revolutionizing Plastics Manufacturing with Renewable and Recycled Feedstock
Neste, a global leader in renewable fuels and sustainable feedstock, is showcasing its Neste RE™ feedstock at Chinaplas 2024 in Shanghai. Neste ...
- How a New 3D Printer Automatically Masters Diverse Sustainable Materials
The advance could help make 3D printing more sustainable, enabling printing with renewable or recyclable materials that are difficult to characterize. While 3D printing has exploded in popularity, ...
- Driving green: Nexeo Plastics paves the way with sustainable mobility solutions
In conclusion, Nexeo Plastics is driving change by providing sustainable solutions that not only meet the needs of the present but also pave the way for a greener and more sustainable future in the ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Bio-derived polymers
[google_news title=”” keyword=”bio-derived polymers” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]