Sask Polytech team converts flax and hemp into biodegradable bottles
The project, which will be led Dr. Satyanarayan Panigrahi, Sask Polytech Biomaterials Testing and Prototyping research chair, has been granted $250,000 in funding from the Agriculture Development Fund through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, and $7,000 from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program.
The first step will be evaluating flax and hemp fibers from Saskatchewan to determine how well they can blend with biodegradable plastics. From there, Sask Polytech will produce biocomposite pellets.
“Getting these pellets to work in blow molding machines is a major technical hurdle, because fibre‑reinforced plastics often behave unpredictably when melted and shaped. The goal is to develop a plastic that flows smoothly and produces bottles that are as durable as traditional plastic ones,” Panigrahi tells Saskatoon Today.
The team will then produce prototype bottles and test their performance filled with cleaning products, like degreasers and detergents.
Category: Chemicals & Materials
