Virginia Tech team thinks bee-yond plastics
In Virginia, researchers in the Virginia Tech Department of Sustainable Biomaterials are studying a biodegradable, polyethylene-like plastic that cellophane bees produce to protect their underground nests. They hope their findings could inform development of more eco-friendly plastics.
Led by materials researcher Jonathan Coote and ecology and evolutionary biology associate professor Laura Russo, the work tracks the bee-made polyester as it breaks down in soil under ordinary conditions. Ultimately, they found that the polyester accounted for about 73% of the nest lining’s weight initially and about 40% after four months.
The findings, which were published recently in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could guide plastics designed to perform like polyethylene but degrade more readily. The material’s rapid breakdown surprised researchers because its semicrystalline structure and likely chemical cross-links usually resist degradation. They suspect enzymes and the accessibility of chemical bonds may help explain the result.
Category: Chemicals & Materials
