1. BIOPLASTIC (An alternative to conventional plastic)
REHANA KOUSAR
06-arid-746 PhD Scholar- Botany

2. CONTENTS Overview- plastics Why bioplastics?
Introduction of Bioplastics
Biodegradation andBiodegrading organisms
Types and current uses
Labeling and manufacturing companies
Bioplastics in Pakistan
Drawbacks
Conclusion

3. PLASTIC The word plastic is derived from the Greek words
πλαστικός (plastikos) meaning "capable of being shaped or molded",
from πλαστός (plastos) meaning "molded".

4. These are synthetic polymers made up of complex organic compounds produced by polymerization,
Capable of being
Molded,
Extruded,
Cast into various shapes and films,
or drawn into filaments and then used as textile fibers.

5. Therefore, they contain the chemical elements
These are typically organic polymers of high molecular mass mostly derived from petroleum sources i-e., oil and gas
Therefore, they contain the chemical elements
carbon and hydrogen
Oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and other elements often present as well.

6. Raw Materials Oil and natural gas
heavy hydrocarbons are converted into hydrocarbon monomers such as
Ethylene and propylene.
Further processing leads to a wider range of monomers such as
styrene, vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol, terephthalic acid and many others

7. linking many monomers together into long chains form a polymer backbone
Polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene
The different combinations of monomers yield plastics with a wide range of properties and characteristics.

8. General manufacturing process of Plastic
Acquiring raw material
Polymerization
Addition
Additives
Conde-nsation
Finishing

9. Uses of Plastics
relatively low cost,
ease of manufacture,
versatility,
imperviousness to water,
They are used in an enormous and expanding range of products, from paper clips to spaceships.

10. They have displaced many traditional materials in most of their uses,
wood,
stone,
horn and bone,
leather,
paper,
metal,
glass,
ceramic,

12. ?
Plastics are everywhere
then
why BIOPLASTICS

13. Reasons Fossil fuels are depleting
Burning of some plastics release very toxic fumes e.g. dioxin
Biggest threats are the environmental issues, such as
toxic pollutant e.g. BPA which is endocrine disruptor
Green house gas
Plastic trash in the ocean gyres
Conventional plastics degrade very slowly ,lead to enlarged landfills.

14. Threat to wildlife
plastic bags are causing major problems to wildlife because animals often eat or inhale these bags, mistaking for food, get tangled in it and starve to death.

16. Approximate time for compounds to biodegrade
Product
Time to Biodegrade
Vegetables
5days- 1 month
Paper
2-5 months
Trees Leaves
1 year
Leather Shoes
24-40 years
Nylon Fabric
30-40 years
Styrofoam Cups
500 years- forever
Plastic Bags

17. Degradable Plastics
Plastic which degrades under certain conditions or after a predetermined length of time
break down (degrade) upon exposure to
sunlight (e.g., ultra-violet radiation),
water or dampness,
bacteria,
enzymes,
wind abrasion

18. Degradable Plastics Types
Bio-degradable plastics, which contain a small percentage of non oil-based material, such as corn starch
Photodegradable plastics, which will break down when exposed to sunlight.

19. Concerns of Degradable Plastics
First, these plastics will only degrade if disposed of in appropriate conditions.
For example, a photodegradable plastic product will not degrade if it is buried in a landfill site where there is no light.
Second, they may cause an increase in emissions of the greenhouse gas methane,
methane is released when materials biodegrade anaerobically.

20. Third, the mixture of degradable and non-degradable plastics may complicate plastics sorting systems.
Last , the use of these materials may lead to an increase in plastics waste and litter if people believe that discarded plastics will simply disappear.

21. Bioplastics
Polymers made from plants sugars and plastics grown inside genetically modified plants or micro-organisms.
derived from renewable biomass sources, such as
vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, pea starch or microbiota

22. Bioplastics can be composed of starches, cellulose, biopolymers, and a variety of other materials.
Generally made from
Agricultural byproducts
Used plastic bottles and other containers using microorganisms.

23. Polymers Used
Living organisms in metabolic processes, themselves, synthesis different polymers
Such as DNA, Cellulose, Polyester etc.
Division of polymers according to their origin is,
Natural polymers
Artificial/synthetic polymers

24. Natural Polymers Animals Plants Lower organisms
hydrocarbons, proteins, fats, nucleic acids, etc.,
Plants
e.g. cellulose, oils, starches, even polyesters
Lower organisms
cellulose, lignin, starch, chitin, pectin, agar

25. Artificial Polymers
Artificial polymers are produced in a manner identical to the natural.
Large quantities of polyester are produced on an industrial scale by the fermentation of sugar (glucose) under the influence of microorganisms under the optimal conditions.

26. Types of bioplastics Biodegradable bioplastics BIOPLASTICS
Non biodegradable bioplastics
Mixed bioplastics

27. 1. Biodegradable Bioplastics
These are mostly biobased and degraded by organisms
Starch based bioplastics and PLA(by fermentation of starch derive sugars)
Cellulose based
Lignin based
Plant’s proteins based
Bioplastics from bacterial origin
Petroleum based biodegradable plastics

28. Starch, Lignin and protein based bioplastics
STARCH based bioplastics can be manufactured from either raw or modified starch (e.g. thermoplastic starch or TPS)
Sources include maize, wheat, potatoes and cassava
Lignin based bioplastics uses wood or
lignocellulosic plant material of paper
milling industry
Plant protein such as zein

29. Cellulose based bioplastics
Cellulose-based bioplastics are chemically-modified plant cellulose materials such as cellulose acetate (CA).
Common cellulose sources include wood pulp, hemp and cotton.

30. PLA bioplastics (starch derivative based)
Is transparent and the most in demand bioplastics .
Produced from the polymerization of lactic acid.

31. Simply mix these things and we can get bioplastic
General Process of making Bioplastic
CORNFLOUR
1 tablespoon
WATER
GLYCERIN
½ tablespoon
VINEGAR
Simply mix these things and we can get bioplastic

32. Bacterial bioplastics
Usually lipid in nature and are actually accumulated as storage material in microbes, allow microbial survival under stress conditions.
Are basically
PHA’s
PHB’s

33. PHA’s
PHA’s are storage substances which store carbon and energy, when nutrients supplies are imbalanced (depletion of N2, P or O2 and excess carbon source)

34. PHB’s
PHB’s (poly-3-hydroxybutyric acid) are thermoplastic polyesters synthesized by Ralstonia eutropha and other bacteria as a form of intracellular carbon and energy storage and accumulate as inclusions in the cytoplasm.
Plants such as Alfalfa
also secretes PHB.

35. Biotechnological production of PHAs.
Carbon source
Bacterial strain
Polymer
Malt, soy waste, milk
waste, vinegarwaste,
oil
Alcaligenes latus
PHB
Glucose, waste
free fatty acids, waste free frying oil
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
mcl-PHAs
Glucose, soybean oil
alcohols, alkanoates ,
Pseudomonas stutzeri
Burkholderia cepacia
PHB, PHBV

36. 2. Nonbiodegradable Bioplastics
Plastics derived from renewable biomass but cannot be easily broken down in the environment by micro-organisms.
Conventional plastic resins can be made from plant oils such as castor, soya bean oil e.g. polyurethane (PU) ,polyamides ( PAs)
Conventional polyethylene (PE) can be
manufactured from bioethanol.

37. 3. Mixed Bioplastics
Mixed bioplastics can be both biodegradable and non-biodegradable depending on the polymers used to manufacture them. For example
a mixed bioplastic containing starch and polycaprolactone (PCL) is biodegradable.
whereas a plastic containing a 1:1 mix of biomass and oil-derived polypropylene (PP) is not.

38. Genetically Engineered Bacteria
Genetically engineered bacteria that synthesize a completely biodegradable plastic, Such as Biopol.
Polymers such as PHBV are produced naturally by some species of bacteria but is uneconomical for large-scale operations.
CaMV 35S promoter

39. GM Plants containing PHA & PHB
PHB in Leaves
Alfalfa, Arabidopsis, popler, potato,tobacco
Sugercan leaves and plastids
PHB in Seeds
Brassica napus, Camelina sativa, oil palm
Flax contain PHB in stems
Tobbaco contain PHA in leaves

40. Engineering of PHB production in the stover of maize was the first demonstration of bioplastic production in a C4 crop.
Genes encoding the PHB enzymes from R. eutropha were incorporated in it to produce PHB.

41. Recovery of PHAs from Cells
PHA producing microorganisms stained with Sudan black or Nile blue
Cells separated out by centrifugation or filtration
PHA is recovered using solvents (chloroform) to break cell wall & extract polymer
Purification of polymer

42. Advantages of Bioplastics
Cost Effective and Energy Efficient
Producing bioplastics uses 65% less energy than it takes to produce petroleum-based plastics, making bioplastics the energy-efficient choice.
Easier to Recycle
Bioplastics are created from fully biodegradable materials ,thus recycling them takes much less energy.

43. Reduces CO2 Emission
When bioplastics degrade, there are very few greenhouse gases and harmful carbon emissions. Bioplastics represent a 42% reduction in carbon footprint
Non toxic

44. Current uses /applications of Bioplastics
Packaging application
Bottles
Films
Clam shell
Corton
Loose fills
Niche market
Minor automobile parts
Electronics
CDs and casing
Food service ware
Carrier bags
Mulch Films
Cutlery

46. Future of BIOPLATICS Vehicles Housing General food packaging Medicines
&
Micro Encapsulation
Electronics

47. BIOLOGICAL DECOMPOSITION
microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and algae) identify the polymer as a source of organic building blocks (e.g. simple saccharides, amino acids, etc...) and source of energy they need for life.

49. BIODEGRADING ORGANISMS
BACTERIA
FUNGI
LICHENS

50. Examples Bacteria such as Fungi such as
Bacillus, Anthrax, Corynebacterium, Diphtheria and Pseudomonas spp.
Klebsiella spp.
Clostridium spp.
Fungi such as
Aspergillus niger,Chanophora cucurbitarum
Mucor and Alternaria spp.
Lichens (41 strains) had showed PHB degradation. Most of these were deuteromycetes

51. Bioplastic Labeling
A number of labeling systems of bioplastics are there in different countries to help the consumers to identify petro plastic and bioplastic types.

52. MANUFACTURING COMPANIES

53. Bioplastics in Pakistan
Not much wrork is reported from Pakistan but like other Asian countries ,Pakistan is forging ahead for further innovations in bioplastics in collaboration with Europeans bioplastic companies.
AMB sourcing
Nadeem group of companies
Premier plastic Industries

54. Recent Challenges / Drawbacks
Economically somewhat unfeasible
Some energy still comes from standard petroleum sources cutting the goal of bioplastic
Some of the usual characteristics of conventional plastics are usually absent

55. Conclusion important and exciting new field
promises to help save the environment, slows the depletion of non-renewable resources.
still a technology in its infant phases
implementation of the correct disposal methods and corresponding infrastructure are vital if the bioplastics industry is to flourish and deliver environmental benefits.

56. References
Chisti Y.,2014. How renewable are the bioplastics. Biotechnology Advances 32 (2014) 1361
Soroudi, A., Jakubowicz, I., Recycling of bioplastics, their blends and biocomposites: A review, European Polymer Journal (2013),
Maria N.S., O.P., Peoples and D., Kristi. PHA Bioplastics, Biochemicals, and Energy from Crops SnellPlant Biotechnology Journal (2013) 11, pp. 233–252