1. Reducing Greenhouse Gases with Bioplastics
CHE379
Technology Report
Reducing Greenhouse Gases with Bioplastics
By Waygene Koay

2. Factors to using Bioplastics
Diffusion properties
Tensile strength
Thermal properties
Permeability
Environmental Factors
Life span
Manufacturing

3. Why Use Bioplastics? Bioplastics Applications Main constituents Pros
Bottling, resins, packaging, etc
Main constituents
Polylactic acids from starch (Corn, Potatoes, etc)
Oils, sugars, fibers, etc
Pros
Reduces or eliminates GHG in production
Requires less or no petrochemicals
Plants decreases CO2 in the atmosphere
Biodegradable - byproducts water, CO2, and organic materials
Can be utilized as fuel
Slow Release of CO2 allows for plants to absorb CO2 than release it in the atmosphere
Potential Cons
Uses Genetically Modified processes
Cost up to three times more than regular Plastic
Use of fertilizers and pesticides for crops

4. Problems with Conventional Plastic
Pros
Cheap and Easy to Manufacture
Good Commercial Properties
Cons
Complex entanglements of polymer chains (usually PET or PBT) make it hard to decompose
Relies heavily on petrochemicals
Needs processing
Recycling requires energy and money
Releases toxic chemicals
Fragmentation or Cyclization occurs
200 million tons produced each year and most of it is not recycled

5. Composition Polylactic acids (PLA) Polyhydroxyalkanoic acids (PHAs)
Similar to regular plastic
Polyhydroxyalkanoic acids (PHAs)
Aliphatic polyester that does not require synthetic processing
Uses bacteria/enzymes
Better heat resistance than PLA
Broader range of materials can be used to make PHAs
Polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHBVs)
Polyols
Plant oil
Variety of other Bioplastics
Extracted or Used
oil, starch, sugars, lactic acid, fatty acids, proteins, bacteria, fibers

6. Lactic Acid Polymerization

7. Broad Range of Bioplastics
Bioplastics made from starch use sorbitol and glycerine which plasticizes the starch into a plastic.
Different amounts of these additives are used to fit the use of the plastic
Bottling, packages, cloth,etc
Similar properties of regular plastic but environmental friendly
Starch can also be fermented into lactic acid to make PLA
Bioplastics derived from fatty acids (oils) can be utilized as a fuel resource
Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing of Macromolecules (CBBM) created a new plastic that degrades in a form similar to diesel.
Thermal Properties
Can exceed stainless steel, which can be utilized in household appliances and mobile devices.
High conductivity increases heat dissipation can be used in electronics
Easy to mold due to lower melting temperature

8. We showed DARPA that we could make a new plastic from plant oils that has remarkable properties, which includes being tougher and more durable than typical polyethylenes. Additionally, the bioplastic can be placed in a simple container where it is safely broken down to liquid fuel.
—Prof. Gross
Military units generate substantial quantities of packaging waste when engaging in stationary field operations. If we can turn this waste into fuel, we will see a double benefit—we will reduce the amount of waste that we have to remove, and we will reduce the amount of new fuel that we must deliver to the units.
—Khine Latt, program manager for DARPA’s Mobile Integrated Sustainable Energy Recovery program

9. Currently: Potentials: Utilizes waste materials
Reduces Municipal waste
Use manure or compost
Reduces methane
High moisture content
Replace regular cloths
Can be converted back to monomer, purified, and further utilized as a plastic
Biodegradable
Requires less energy to manufacture
Less petrochemicals or none required
Requires no processing
Can use conventional plastic factories for manufacturing
Can replace fertilizers
Potentials:
Improving biodegradability for certain environments
Metallization could provide better barrier properties
Addition of SiO2, carbon fiber, or other metals
Increases thermal conductivity
Specialized enzymes can enhance production
Could be cost effective as petrochemicals increase in price

10. Overview
Overall even though bioplastics are generally more expensive than regular plastic, the variety of uses and benefits could outweigh the cost. It cuts down on municipal waste, reduces GHGs, it’s environmentally friendly, and it can be used as a fuel. Lastly with developing technologies, these benefits will improve and the cost will be competitive in the market.

11. References http://www.nec.co.jp/eco/en/annual2006/02/2-1.html