Polymer researcher's latest development results in novel cup that withstands boiling liquids

A University of Akron (UA) professor's latest development in bioplastics has the potential to make important strides in sustainability for future plastics.

Plastics have become an essential part of our daily lives, though most cannot be recycled and therefore accumulate in landfills. Some promising biodegradable/compostable alternatives, such as PLA, are typically not strong enough to replace traditional fossil-fuel based polymers like poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) because these sustainable materials are brittle.

PLA is the world's foremost 100% biobased and fully compostable polymer. But it has low toughness and a low heat distortion temperature. It softens and structurally collapses around 140 degrees Fahrenheit, making it unusable in many hot food packing applications and disposable containers. By investigating the origin of ductility in semicrystalline polymers, the research group discovered a way to limit crystals to nanoscopic scales in PLA while preserving the network, resulting in the clear, tough and heat resistant cup. Such a transparent cup can hold hot tea and coffee and could replace most plastic beverage cups on the market.

Read more at Phys.org

Image Credit: Unsplash

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