Sustainable Bioplastic from Pine Trees

Researchers at Florida State University have developed a method of converting α-pinene, sourced from forestry biomass, into an isomeric form that renders it suitable for polymerization. The resulting material is predicted to have ballistic, barrier, and mechano-responsive properties. This presents a cheap and new plastic material based on a feedstock that is available on an industrial scale. The conversion method utilizes commercially available catalyst systems and can be performed at scale.

Applications

Replacement for commonly used petroleum-based plastics, including:

• Bottles
• Shopping bags
• Fishing nets
• Straws
• Multi-pack beverage rings

Advantages

• Presents a significant advancement over α- and β-pinene polymers in terms of ease of manufacture
• Can be harvested sustainably through tapping or through forestry by-products
• Resistant to ill-effects brought on by contamination
• Has similar desirable properties when compared to commercially available petroleum-based plastics

News article: https://news.fsu.edu/news/2021/07/27/fsu-researchers-discover-pine-sap-based-plastic-a-potential-change-for-future-of-sustainable-materials/

Research Article: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00284