Biodegradable Plastic Option From Shrimp Shells

The scientific Javier Fernández, doctor in Nanobiotechnologyat the University of Barcelona, a Harvard researcher and a professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design is the discoverer of new utilities that can be attributed to this amazing material: chitosan.

It is a biodegradable material that brings hope to the fields of industry and medicine. Aims to reduce plastic consumption. The scientist discovered this substance studying shells of insects and crustaceans and because of that, failed to understand why it was necessary to create the shrilk, a mixture of chitosan (material from the shells of crustaceans and insects) and fibroin (a silk protein), which has a greater force than plastic and it also has the advantage of being biodegradable.

Thanks to publications that talk about this material, medical and industry companies were interested with this material. But there was a problem: silk is too much expensive  and raise the industrial process, and because of that, Javier Fernández and his team managed to remove the silk off the composition.

The researcher emphasizes that different techniques have been used to design the structure and the properties of chitosan, and have been reoriented to other applications. Therefore it is a material that has already existed. It is very easy to obtain because it is the second most abundant organic material on Earth, and is a material that normally ends up in the trash.

Unfortunately, it has not been well studied until now because, after it was discovered, the plastic was created and the research stopped. But when the concern for sustainable materials emerged, their study was resumed.

The scientist says that will soon the production of chitosan can be very high. But while the plastic is present, it will be difficult to introduce it. Meanwhile Javier Fernández will continue to develop applications of the material to give reasons for the generational change.

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This is a great advance and discover to ecologist worried about environment. Personaly I think it is good to depend less of plastic and keep some petrol to the future. Because unfortunately, plastic is not recyclable and it is very prejudicial to the ecosystem. but now with this biodegradable material, we can start saving our environment.